Cranleigh remembered – but not this week – and Old Cottage Hospital updates

by admin | May 13, 2024 | CCS meet ups, Cranleigh Hospital

Hello -no Cranleigh Voices meeting this week – sorry. 

As you may know Cranleigh Society has been hosting Vintage Tea Parties at Cranleigh Band Room every three months or so, and recording special memories of Cranleigh long ago, but we can’t provide the one this Wednesday after all – so sorry. They have been fun and the hall was all booked but we cannot man it.  Hopefully the next one will be in July then August.

The main reasons are that several of the people who set them up are also working on applying for a very large National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant this August, and the work has taken over – what we really need is more people to join in and help with Cranleigh Society.

Cranleigh Old Cottage Hospital project update

The working title is Napper Cottage, but we in Cranleigh still call it the Cottage Hospital.  We mean just the 15th cottage that is unused nowadays, not the working day hospital and maternity suite.

National Lottery Heritage Fund

You might remember that the Heritage Fund are very keen for this project to succeed and have already forwarded a good sum of money which is being spent carefully on researchers  and advisors.  Every time people buy a lottery ticket they help with good causes – so thank you to those who buy.

Conserving, Updating and Opening Cranleigh Old Cottage Hospital

The team are also finding out about how the building can be updated without harming it, and  have looked at a possible front garden design too.

Who will benefit from Heritage Education? 

The search is on for groups and individuals who would find the cottage just right for their work and interests, different to the other places in Cranleigh.  They have discussed all this with the Arts Centre, Rowleys, the Methodist church and the Leisure centre, to name a few.  It’s all very exciting.

Once opened the heritage stories and items from the 19th century will be inspiring and the hope is to have new exhibitions often.  Schools and colleges will be encouraged to visit, taking advantage of the library at the same time where groups are quite large.  Did you know that schools and nurseries struggle to find enough volunteers for outings?  Please see if you can offer your help.

Raising enough money 

The Trustees hope that the method of raising the money to repair, conserve and open the building meets everyones needs – no coins in buckets- all named donations and appropriate grants. There will be a new exciting ‘1000 Club’ – so that people can play to win a share of any money raised, and benefit the charity that works on the building of St NIcolas Church, plus the cottage.  The Heritage fund will only provide 90% of the estimated costs.  Cranleigh and villagers must show their support too and raise the other 10%. There have been a few donations, all carefully recorded, and the team are extremely grateful.

When will the Heritage Fund let the team know if they have succeeded? 

The Trustees and team must send in the application in August, then the Heritage Fund teams will examine the plans very carefully.  There are four main outcomes that they insist upon:

Saving heritage

Protecting the environment

Inclusion, access and participation

Organisational sustainability.

 = Heritage should be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone’s future.

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