£1million Heritage Lottery Fund investment for home of Sir Walter Scott

£1million Heritage Lottery Fund investment for home of Sir Walter Scott

Today, the Heritage Lottery Fund announces a grant of £1million to the Abbotsford Trust that will help ensure the future of the Scottish Borders home of Romantic writer and poet, Sir Walter Scott. 

The grant, which has been awarded through HLF’s Catalyst Endowment programme, will enable the Trust to widen its income streams and access to private philanthropic giving in order to help build future financial resilience for this remarkable 19th century house and its contents, situated on the banks of the River Tweed.

Jason Dyer, Chief Executive, The Abbotsford Trust said: “We believe that this significant grant award is a recognition of the global importance of Sir Walter Scott and his Abbotsford home. When The Abbotsford Trust was formed in 2007, this exceptional property was in danger of being lost forever. Now, thanks to the generosity of public sector bodies and private individuals, we have raised £11.8million of the £14.5million we believe is required to safeguard Abbotsford’s future. This latest grant will play a major part in helping to secure the remaining funds required to preserve and protect this unique part of Scotland’s heritage.”

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “Sir Walter Scott is one of the UK’s most celebrated authors and his work is recognised throughout the world. By encouraging new money through philanthropic giving, this Catalyst Endowment grant will help the Trust build a stronger financial future and help safeguard this national heritage treasure for future generations to enjoy.”

The Catalyst: Endowments programme is a joint initiative between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Arts Council England (ACE) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Designed to bring new money into the cultural sector, the programme offers match-funding to help arts and heritage organisations secure their financial stability by building a new endowment fund or developing an existing one.  The organisations will use the grants of between £500,000 and £5million to attract money from private philanthropic sources. 

Find out more about Abbotsford. Visit the Catalyst Endowment page for more details about the programme.

Notes to editors

The Heritage Lottery Fund has today announced Catalyst Endowments totalling £27.5million in Northern Ireland, England and Scotland. The Heritage Lottery Fund will run a second round of Catalyst Endowments in the autumn, with awards to be announced in spring 2013.

Further information

Please contact Natasha Ley or Lydia Davies, HLF press office, on 020 7591 6143 / 6036. Out of hours mobile: 07973 613 820. For further information on Abbotsford please contact Karen Finlay, Artisan PR, on 01578 722 690.