The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has announced a £25,000 grant award for the proposed project for a Pugin and St Augustine Education, Research, and Visitor Centre.
They are the 16th grant giving organisation to support the Restoration and proposed Centre. Over 400 people who have generously donated to the project so far.
Fr Marcus Holden said:
“This project is locally driven, but it is a project that has a national importance. The things you see here inspired the architecture of a nation, Parliament was inspired by Ramsgate. We are very grateful for the donation from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Fund and for Lord Lloyd Webber’s personal interest and support for our project.
“It takes us one step nearer towards the church’s restoration and the setting up of a centre for Pugin inside the church.”
The event was attended by over 100 guests representing Grant giving organisations and supporters. They heard speeches in support of the St Augustine’s project from Clive Aslet, Editor at Large of Country Life Magazine, Cllr Iris Johnston, Leader of Thanet District Council and Robert Pugin Purcell on behalf of the Pugin family.
The event was hosted by Fr Marcus Holden, Rector of St Augustine’s church in Ramsgate, the burial place of its great architect, Augustus Welby Pugin.
St Augustine’s has made a second round application for Heritage Lottery Funding. The cost of the project for a centre is likely to be just over £800,000.
Photograph credit: © Marie Muscat-King
