Not a waste (From Penarth Times)

Not a waste

8:30am Thursday 10th December 2009 in Letters

ON BEHALF of Penarth Arts and Crafts, I feel I should respond to the somewhat negative and misinformed letter in last week’s Penarth Times from `Concerned of Hickman Road’ about the grant of further funds by the Heritage Lottery Fund for us to finalise our bid to restore and reactivate the splendid but now decrepit Penarth Pier Pavilion.

Penarth Arts & Crafts Ltd. has been a limited company since 1998 and a charity since 2003. It receives no Arts Council support and has for some years been awarded £13,000 a year under a Service Level Agreement with the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

Apart from this valued support, the Washington Gallery funds its range of artistic, educational and cultural programmes through funds earned from its cafe, retail trading and its Friends’ support group.

This income still barely covers running costs and many activities depend on dedicated volunteer work.

It is widely accepted that the Washington Gallery’s presence in Penarth has brought real economic regeneration to its part of the town; the gallery itself receives well over 60,000 visitors a year.

The letter writer seems to think that the funds granted so far for bid-development have been wasted. The only way to bring in real capital - and we are talking over £3 million here - is through a long process of carefully and professionally developed applications.

Of the £99,600 now granted - considered a brilliant outcome by knowledgeable people and won on a national basis against many other bids, including for the Stonehenge Visitor Centre - over £55,000 will go to architects, structural engineers and other specialists.

These are accepted costs on this scale of project to take it to the final application, thought to have a high chance of success after the rigorous selection in the early stages.

The remaining funds will be spent in part on strategic matters such as fundraising and marketing drives and developing evidence to convince public finders of the real public support for the project, and also on tactical development.

The latter will involve expert financial planning and developing training, learning and detailed activities plans, all to show that as a business the Pavilion will be both financially sustainable and structurally and socially positive.

This expenditure is in fact dedicated to allay anxieties like those expressed by the letter-writer about the potential failure of the project, either financially or operationally.

The separately funded Marina Ballroom Project (£25,000 from Heritage Lottery Fund) will engage over 100 volunteers and 10 paid supporters for over one year and bring together community interests in an inter-generational project that will add to the interest of a newly opened Pavilion and particularly bring young people into the future plans.

As the letter-writer comments, the gymnasium club certainly deserves to be valued and supported. But it should also not be left in such poor condition as at present and PACL is doing all it can to lobby the powers that be – including the Vale of Glamorgan Council – to find a suitable and permanent home for this important institution.

It is hoped that when the Pavilion is refurbished the Penarth Gymnasium Club will continue a connection with its temporary home.

In spite of the letter-writer’s anxiety on the point there is, and never has been, any plan to charge anyone to enjoy the Pavilion.

Should the project proceed, as we now both hope and expect, the economic benefits to Penarth will be spectacular and will bring people from around Wales and beyond to the town to marvel at the refurbished building, its beautiful maritime surroundings, the exciting and innovative programmes planned and above all, to enjoy the Pavilion as the centre of a vibrant and resurgent Penarth esplanade.

Jillian Penn

Chair

Penarth Arts & Crafts Ltd