Latest news
HLF confirms £16m funding boost for historic attractions
By Pete Hayman
Three historic attractions have received a major funding boost after the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) confirmed over £16m of grants. The announcement was made as part of a £23m package pledged by the HLF for the repair and restoration of historic landmark buildings across Britain.
Watts Gallery, home to the works of Victorian painter and sculptor, GF Watts, will receive £4.3m of HLF cash to put towards a £10m renovation project which began in 2004. In order to secure the grant, the gallery had to raise almost £4m itself, but the Fund's decision means that work can now begin on the two-year project at the end of September. Carole Souter, Chief Executive of the HLF, said, "These vital restoration works will not only secure the Gallery's future but also enable it to continue to welcome local visitors as well as attracting new ones." Durlston Head Castle in Swanage, will also benefit from the HLF's decision, with the Fund contributing £3.1m as part of a £5.5m plan by Dorset County Castle to turn the castle and surrounding country park into a 'world class' attraction. With £2.4m of funding already in place through individual donations and fundraising drives, work is expected to get underway in summer 2009. Plans for the Castle's restoration include a new learning centre and observatory. Burns Museum, however, picked up the largest slice of HLF funding, with £5.8m given to the Natural Trust of Scotland to help establish a new tourist attraction celebrating the life of Scottish bard Robert Burns. It is part of the multi-million pound project which has already seen contributions made by the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire. Meanwhile, Llanelly House in Llanelli, South Wales and All Souls Church, Bolton have been earmarked to receive over £7m of HLF money having obtained a Stage One Pass. Image: Roy EgglestonThree historic attractions have received a major funding boost after the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) confirmed over £16m of grants.
ARC,DES,HAM,CLD
150708-durlston-castle.jpg
Latest news
05 Jun 2026
Nuffield Health has told HCM that it takes its responsibilities towards its colleagues seriously and
05 Jun 2026
Technogym has announced the launch of the Run X World Treadmill Championship, the first world
05 Jun 2026
Shocked by the UK loneliness statistics, charitable trust Mytime Active has been doubling down on
05 Jun 2026
Portugal’s leading operator, SC Fitness, is celebrating a milestone by reaching 100 gyms. The company
03 Jun 2026
Australia’s fast-growing fitness network, Viva Leisure, is adding a low-cost gym brand to its already
03 Jun 2026
Speedflex has launched a strength training programme for 10 to 16-year-olds, to make it safer,
One of the biggest mistakes operators in the fitness industry still make is advertising almost
01 Jun 2026
Tewinbury Farm Hotel in Hertfordshire, UK is expanding its premium leisure proposition with the launch
01 Jun 2026
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes,
29 May 2026
PureGym is encouraging people to step away from their screens and go for a walk,
29 May 2026
Small improvements to sleep, diet quality, and physical activity, made in combination lead to a
28 May 2026
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions that measure 65,000sq m, will
27 May 2026
The Yard Gym (TYG) is to become Nike Training’s official global training partner in a
Elevate is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary in style this June, with organisers confirming
27 May 2026
Everlast Gyms' York site has reopened following a refurbishment to bring it up to the
26 May 2026
Luxury hospitality and wellness pioneer Jeremy McCarthy has launched Leisure Alchemy, a digital platform that
22 May 2026
A contrast therapy and breathwork facility called Reset has opened in Islington, London, in the
22 May 2026
Fitness First UK is embracing digital wellness technology by installing Kip’s tap-to-activate phone controls across
21 May 2026
Solidcore, which is majority owned by L Catterton, has confirmed that it is actively exploring
21 May 2026
UK Active has published new guidance on defibrillators to help fitness and leisure operators deliver
Celebrating its milestone fifth anniversary, W3Fit EMEA returns in 2026 with an unmissable gathering of
19 May 2026
Luxury members’ club Tramp has expanded into the fitness, health and wellness sector with the
Gymnation ramps up expansion and heads to Asia, after securing US$100 million from BlackRock vehicle
19 May 2026
GCC gym operator, Gymnation, has secured a $100 million private credit facility from HPS Investment
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
SnowDome Fitness has added 50 per cent more space with cutting-edge Technogym solutions
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Find out how your gym can tap into the corporate wellness boom
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
David Lloyd is stepping up its commitment to women’s health as it continues to explore what fit-for-purpose looks like for the female population
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Starpool supports Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, says Riccardo Turri
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Greg Bradley looks at the shift towards strength training in gyms and advises on how operators can create the ultimate training environment
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Third Space partnered with IndigoFitness to deliver a
bespoke training space for its new club at The Whiteley
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
EGYM has opened a new HQ in Paternoster Square,
London and revealed a range of new launches
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Active IQ is calling for greater accountability in online fitness advice with the launch of a new trustmark
HCM promotional features
Promotion
BLK BOX has been reimagining elite performance
spaces for more than a decade. Founder and
former athlete, Greg Bradley, tells us what it takes
HCM promotional features
HCM magazine
Strength training is evolving,
driven by changing consumer
preferences. Julie Cramer talks
to innovators about how their
products are meeting this demand
HCM magazine
HCM People
Jamie Clements
The Breath Coach“I experienced a blissful feeling of joy I hadn’t felt since I was a kid”
HCM magazine
HCM People
Stephen Price
Founder, SP&Co Group“Working in public health over the last few years has lit up parts of my brain again”
HCM magazine
For every member with a tripod and a big following, there are others irritated at the way equipment is being hogged or wary they’ll be in the background on someone’s Insta feed. Do influencers offer valuable, free marketing or are they just a nuisance? Kath Hudson finds out how operators are responding
HCM magazine
As the entrepreneur who started Wexer, Fresh Fitness, Fitness DK and Repeat, as well as being a former elite athlete, Rasmus Ingerslev’s life looked perfect from the outside, but onthe inside it was a different story. He talks to Kath Hudson about healing old wounds
HCM magazine
Raphael Cuomo explores the
powerful link between addiction,
health and behaviour change
HCM magazine
Small improvements to sleep, diet and physical activity have major benefits for the heart, according to new research from the University of Sydney
HCM magazine
If the health service is to
survive, we must recognise
that it is a disease service
– and that wellbeing rests with
us, says the activity advocate
and healthy ageing champion.
He talks to Kate Cracknell
HCM magazine
Collaborations with the medical profession and greater aspirations around wellbeing are creating a need for more experts in our sector. It’s time to reboot our thinking around the workforce
HCM magazine
Vicci Wells shares insights from the
recent Class of 2035 report into
physical activity in Generation Alpha
HCM magazine
Julie Cramer highlights
recent health club flooring
upgrades, as top suppliers
give their advice
HCM magazine
Read the latest issue
Opinion
promotion
“Strength training has moved from the margins to the mainstream.”
Featured supplier news
As healthcare continues to shift towards prevention, there’s a growing focus on helping
people stay active, independent and feeling good for longer.
Featured supplier news
Celebrating its milestone 5th anniversary, W3Fit EMEA returns in 2026 with an unmissable
gathering of the Health & Fitness industry’s most influential leaders.
Company profiles
Output Sports provides performance technology for modern training facilities. Our integrated platform combines testing, monitoring ...
Company profiles
Panatta's mission is to create machines that are aesthetically pleasing, functional and competitive in price ...
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
Directory
Industrial washing machines
Lockers
Hot tubs
Water experiences and hydrotherapy solutions
Fitness tracking platform
Spa and beauty equipment
Property & Tenders
Stratford, East London.
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Property & Tenders
Diary dates
21-24 Sep 2026
The Langham Huntington Pasadena , Pasadena, United States
Diary dates
Search news, features & products:
Find a supplier:
