A former Widnes church will be turned into a special 'heritage HQ' as part of a major new culture project in Halton.
The council has landed a grant of £207,700 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards a project aimed at celebrating Halton's trailblazing tradespeople.
Part of this year's Borough of Culture celebrations, the project will have its very own headquarters at St Marie’s - a converted church building in Widnes - which is currently home to Halton & St Helens Voluntary and Community Action.
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The venue will host talks, workshops and exhibitions on the themes of trades in Halton over the centuries. A series of other activities will be held at partner venues too.
The project will also feature a creative specialist who will work with a group of young people to create monologues which will be projected on to non-heritage buildings around the borough.
Cllr Paul Nolan, the council’s portfolio holder for culture and leisure services, said: “It’s tremendous news that Halton Borough Council has been awarded this grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
"With the Heritage HQ being established in the old St Marie’s church, itself a building of historical significance, today’s residents will be able to discover how past locals worked, lived and died, and how their experiences shape ours in the present.”
Borough of Culture is awarded annually on a rotational basis to one of the six local authorities that make up the Liverpool City Region, as part of the Combined Authority’s culture programme. The aim is to increase participation in cultural activity across Halton.
For more information visit www.celebratehalton.co.uk
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