Heywood’s civic centre is set for a revamp after Rochdale Borough Council is awarded a large financial boost of £696,000 from Arts Council England.
The money will bring a physical and digital transformation to the centre, with hopes of improving its access to the public and environmental impact, whilst offering even more opportunities for local people in its relocation to the centre of Heywood.
Cartwheel Arts, connected to the centre, have hopes the grant will create new opportunities for the community, by encouraging people to get involved in the arts.
Opened in the 1970s, Heywood Civic Centre is a multi-purpose entertainment and meeting venue. It is celebrated for its stage facilities, holding live music and theatre productions and is host to a regular programme of events, national tours, dance and leisure activities.
Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation, thanked Arts Council England for their generosity: “This is fantastic news, and we are very proud our application was successful.
"We are grateful to Arts Council England for this award, one of the largest grants from the scheme in the country. The centre is one of the town’s primary event and community activity spaces but is in need of updating.
"I think this funding demonstrates the faith and commitment they have in our plans for Heywood Civic Centre.”
Improvements have been made over the years, but this investment will enable a major upgrade to the centre.
Estelle Rowe, deputy CEO and director of finance at Your Trust spoke about her delight for this new development: "This is so exciting as it means Heywood Civic Centre will be able to do so much more and we can improve the overall experience for visitors.”
Darren Henley, chief executive at Arts Council England, added: “World class creativity and culture needs a resilient and sustainable infrastructure to allow it to flourish.
"With these investments in the buildings, equipment, and digital systems of cultural organisations across England, we are helping to secure the future of that infrastructure and making sure that people from every part of the country can continue enjoying all the benefits it delivers for years to come.”
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