Charity running world famous Derbyshire heritage site celebrates major lottery grant

The Arkwright Society, which has managed the world historic complex since the 1970s, has been awarded £249,599 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, unlocked thanks to a commitment of £20,000 in match funding from the Duke of Devonshire Charitable Trust.

Chief executive Eilis Scott said: “This funding will help make the society more resilient and deliver a bright and innovative future. Cromford Mills is a very special place within the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site and we want to continue sharing and celebrating the mils and their stories with all our visitors and local businesses.

"This funding will give us greater confidence and resource to develop educational activities and plans, particularly for conservation and sustainability, with our local schools and communities; which is at the heart of what the Arkwright Society is all about.”

She added: “The Arkwright Society is immensely grateful for the ongoing support from National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Duke of Devonshire Charitable Trust.”

Sustainability is the overarching theme for the two-year project, which includes a programme of public engagement activities around a new hydro-electric turbine – due to be operational by the end of this summer.

Eilis said: “We want the new waterwheel to be a catalyst for how we think about repurposing old buildings.”

The grants will also support the recruitment of three new members of staff who will look to increase income from the site.

Candidates were interviewed last week for the new leadership role, head of engagement, to be followed by two more posts all looking at ways to improve marketing, events, volunteering opportunities and new partnerships with local schools and community groups.

But the most important part may be refreshing the charity’s strategic masterplan, commissioned for an estimated £50,000, which will set out everything from physical restoration and maintenance of the 18th century buildings to potential further renewable energy infrastructure and an analysis of the charity’s operational structures and business plan.

Eilis said: “It’s about economic sustainability, social sustainability and our resilience as an organisation, which means how we can best retain and enhance our capabilities and generate the creative ideas and new stories to appeal to a broader range of audiences who may not have visited before.

“The buildings are still on the national Heritage at Risk Register, the First Mill in particular is in a poor state and needs new roof. It’s arguably the most special building we have. That will be a multimillion pound project, and to attract that kind of money we will have to demonstrate the public benefit.”

She added: “Our last masterplan was created in 2012, and a lot of things have changed since then – not least our operating costs. Without this funding we would be struggling to deliver on our charitable objectives for conservation and education.”

Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe.