Epping Ongar Railway receives £62000 from second round
of the Government's Culture Recovery Fund2nd April 2021

The Epping Ongar Railway has received a grant of £62,000 from the from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

Nearly £400 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including the Epping Ongar Railway in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today..

Steam hauled train on the Epping Ongar railway

This award today will help the Railway look ahead to the Spring and Summer and plan for reopening and recovery, and follows on from a previous grant awarded in the Autumn which was used to make adaptions to our carriages to provide partitions between groups of passengers to allow them to travel safely and with confidence.

Dean Walton, General Manager said:

“The Epping Ongar Railway, its volunteers and supporters are grateful for this significant grant. We will be using it to make final preparations before we reopen, in line with government guidance, in late May “

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced.

Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors - helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead ”

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“Spring is definitely here, bringing not only sunshine but that sense of optimism and hope for the future. We are all looking forward to heritage places and other visitor attractions reopening and I am very pleased that we have been able to support DCMS in delivering this vital funding to ensure the UK’s heritage sector can rebuild and thrive, boosting local economies, creating jobs and supporting personal wellbeing.”

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said:

“The value of our heritage sites and the people who run them has been amply demonstrated, as they have provided an anchor for so many of us through the dark days of the last year. Vital grants from the Culture Recovery Fund have helped them survive and will now help them recover, as the places we all cherish start to reopen in the months ahead.”

Further details of the Railway's services which will operate from 22 MAy, will be available shortly.