A SOMERSET cultural hub has received a further funding boost as work to regenerate part of its current base moves forward.

The Red Brick Building is a former tannery within the Morland Enterprise Park in Glastonbury, which hosts a wide range of arts and cultural events along with a café and restaurant, a community radio station and a youth facility.

The regeneration of Building C within the complex is one of 11 projects identified within the £23.6m Glastonbury town deal, with central government funding being provided to give this building a comprehensive revamp.

Now the community benefit society which runs the building has been awarded further funding from the National Lottery heritage fund for a new project to teach young people about the town’s industrial heritage.

A total of £81,169 has been provided for the Morlands and Baily’s industry
and community project, looking at the fascinating history of the Beckery area of Glastonbury.

News of the grant was confirmed by the Red Brick Building on its official Facebook page.

A spokesman said: “This funding will support the establishment of a welcoming heritage café and the coordination of an intergenerational initiative to create memory boxes, fostering the sharing of experiences.

“Additionally, we’ll provide loan boxes and resources to local schools and groups, enabling young people to delve into their community’s history.

“We’ll also establish a secure archive for our expanding collection of artefacts, with a dedicated space for a more permanent display celebrating the area’s industrial heritage and its people.

“We would like to say a big thanks to all the National Lottery players, and all those involved in the previous heritage project which helped develop our bid.”

Each of the town deal projects are provided with a share of £23.6m, with the various partners involved in their delivery expected to provide or secure match funding to complete the project.

Somerset Council – which is overseeing the town deal – confirmed that the National Lottery funding “is not part of the Glastonbury town deal and it is not match funding”.

The government previously provided £250,000 of ‘accelerator funding’ during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing some of the initial work on Building C to be carried out ahead of a full planning application coming forward.

These full plans were formally submitted in August 2023, with the council’s planning committee east (which covers the former Mendip area) expected to make a final decision later in the year.

Construction on Building C is expected to take up to two years, meaning the new facility should be completely operational by early-2026.