Teddington's Landmark Arts Centre has received a boost from the Government's Cultural Recovery Fund to help finance urgent repairs to the centre during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lifeline grants from the Cultural Recovery Fund are designed to protect heritage sites and ensure that jobs and access to culture and heritage in local communities are protected during the months ahead and The Landmark has been awarded £7000, which will be used to investigate the cause of leaks to the Grade II* listed building, as well as for funding urgent repairs to the drainage system.

Lesley Bossine, centre Manager, commented: "We are delighted to receive this funding from the Cultural Recovery Fund. The grant has come at a critical time because, if left for much longer, the damage to the building would have been beyond repair, making parts of the centre unusable for when we are allowed to reopen, having a serious impact on our future income."

Grants of up to £25,000 are being allocated to cherished heritage sites across the country, such as The Landmark, to cover urgently needed repairs and maintenance. This vital funding comes from the government's Heritage Stimulus Fund and is administered on behalf of the government by Historic England.

Lesley Bossine, added: "Although we are pleased to be running a range of on-line classes and choirs the centre remains closed for the foreseeable future so the need to continue our fundraising effort to save the centre from permanent closure still continues.

"Financial injections such as these grants are a welcome relief as it means we can avoid dipping into the kind donations made to us by the public."