Yorkshire: Funding saves community spaces from closure

Abbeydale Picture House only recently announced its closure

Yorkshire venues at risk of closure are set to receive a funding boost from the government.

Local pubs, cinemas and community centres in the region have been allocated £3.3m in levelling up funding.

This included the century-old Abbeydale Picture House in Sheffield, which only announced its closure last month.

A project to purchase the building and carry out necessary repairs has received £300,000.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the cash boost would "re-establish it as a thriving, vibrant cultural focal point".

Steve Rimmer, founder of Creative Arts Development Space (CADS), said it would make a "huge difference" and he was "thankful and excited" to be able to take the first step.

'Beating heart'

A 200-year-old cricket club in Huddersfield has also been awarded £300,000 to build a new clubhouse.

Lascelles Hall Cricket Club was the target of an arson attack in 2010, which destroyed their clubhouse and has forced them to operate out of a temporary one ever since.

The funding would help them to build a more sustainable clubhouse, now they have received planning permission.

Keighley Creative in Bradford, West Yorkshire, has been awarded £1.3m to "secure its long-term future" through the purchase and refurbishment of the upper floor of the building.

The space would be brought back into community use, with a space for artists' studios.

Jacob Young, Minister for Levelling Up, said: "We know how much these vital community assets mean to people across the country.

"They are an important lifeline for people young and old, and they're the beating heart of our towns, cities and villages.

"That's why we're stepping in to protect them with a major rescue package."

This round of funding allocated £33.5m to a variety of projects, nine of which were in Yorkshire and the Humber region.

Further announcements included three community centres receiving a total of £840,000 in funding.