Council secures £64k COVID lifeline grant for iconic Morriston building

One of Swansea’s most historic buildings is to benefit from a £64,200 grant lifeline. The money has been awarded to Morriston Tabernacle to help it with the challenges of the pandemic.

It will assist with the loss of income suffered as community groups have temporarily stopped meeting there. It will fund essential maintenance work on the building and the installation of broadband there.

The grant was secured by Swansea Council officers working to make the Tabernacle a community focal point for future generations.

It was awarded under the Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund for the heritage sector.

Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “Income from activities at the Tabernacle stopped overnight due to Covid restrictions which are in place to help the community cut the spread of this deadly virus.

“The money is a lifeline as it will help see the building through this difficult time and give the Tabernacle and the groups that meet there a platform to thrive in future.

“We’re working hard to make the building a powerful part of the community for many years to come – and this will help”

Groups that use the venue include the Tabernacle Morriston Choir and Morriston Ladies Choir, seated yoga classes and a creative crafts and arts group. Others include Cymdeithas Cymraeg Treforys knit and natter sessions and Welsh learners classes.

The Tabernacle is a towering 149-year-old landmark at the heart of Morriston.

It’s an iconic sight in the lower Swansea Valley, once the centre of the world’s copper-making trade. Its history as a focal point for nonconformist worship helps make it important to Welsh heritage.

Swansea Council wants the Tabernacle to have a bright future; officers recently delivered the first phase of an ongoing plan to revitalise its use.

The initiative has been warmly welcomed by the people of Morriston, including those who wish to run activities at the building and those who enjoy attending them.

(Lead image: Swansea Council)