Can You Help? The Friends of The Winter Gardens
The Friends of the Winter Gardens charity No: 1064127
The Friends of the Winter Gardens were formed in 1986 by a group of local residents, sharing the same feelings and concerns for the building. At the start, our prime role was to keep up pressure to save the theatre from demolition.
During this time, we went into the Pavilion enthusiastically with mops and buckets to clean up this 'once beautiful building' and, to give back some of its lost sparkle, we cleaned away years of dirt and rubbish.
The Friends of the Winter Gardens were formed in 1986 by a group of local residents, sharing the same feelings and concerns for the building. At the start, our prime role was to keep up pressure to save the theatre from demolition.
During this time, we went into the Pavilion enthusiastically with mops and buckets to clean up this 'once beautiful building' and, to give back some of its lost sparkle, we cleaned away years of dirt and rubbish.
The Friends pictured here with Ken Dodd
 | This enabled the ‘Friends’ to open up the Winter Gardens to the public at weekends, to show what lay behind the doors that had been closed since 1977. Support from the public began to flood in at this time, with more people wishing to join us; we held meetings and began fund-raising events. The result being, many improvements were made to help stop the decay of the building. |
In May 1995, the Winter Gardens was acquired by the Building at Risk Trust and, thanks to the Lancaster City Council, English Heritage, and a single regeneration grant, financial funding was in place for the 1st phase of restoration which began the following year. |  Group photograph 2007 |
Also, at this time, to the great delight of the ‘Friends’ we were recognised by the Charity Commission and granted charitable status.
Following the completion of the exterior restoration, circumstances once again brought work to a halt, and again we became a pressure group as in the early days.
Because of our perseverance things started to progress again in 2002. A series of meetings with all interested parties allowed the Friends to show how determined we are to safeguard this magnificent building.
The decisions in 2003-4 to plan for the installation of a level floor in the stalls and for eventual purchase of The Winter Gardens brought us to the most exciting and demanding phase in a long campaign.
We took the bull by the horns in 2005, commissioning a Scoping Business Plan and reaching agreement over the purchase. By early 2006, The Friends had established The Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust Ltd. as the necessary vehicle to buy the theatre. At the same time we commissioned an Options Assessment which is essential to Heritage Lottery applications for funding.
And now?
At long last the building is in charitable ownership and, as we launch our new website along with the Trust, we are even more active than ever, raising funds, guiding visitors and working to maintain The Winter Gardens, while the Trust proceeds with its funding applications to support The Morecambe Winter Gardens Heritage Project.
Join us. Help us to fulfil a 20 year old dream.
Because of our perseverance things started to progress again in 2002. A series of meetings with all interested parties allowed the Friends to show how determined we are to safeguard this magnificent building.
The decisions in 2003-4 to plan for the installation of a level floor in the stalls and for eventual purchase of The Winter Gardens brought us to the most exciting and demanding phase in a long campaign.
We took the bull by the horns in 2005, commissioning a Scoping Business Plan and reaching agreement over the purchase. By early 2006, The Friends had established The Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust Ltd. as the necessary vehicle to buy the theatre. At the same time we commissioned an Options Assessment which is essential to Heritage Lottery applications for funding.
And now?
At long last the building is in charitable ownership and, as we launch our new website along with the Trust, we are even more active than ever, raising funds, guiding visitors and working to maintain The Winter Gardens, while the Trust proceeds with its funding applications to support The Morecambe Winter Gardens Heritage Project.
Join us. Help us to fulfil a 20 year old dream.
An artists impression of the Morecambe Winter Gardens.
The Morecambe Winter Gardens © 2007 - Webwise Innovations, providers of imagery. All rights reserved.
The Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservations Trust Charity No:1113010 - Company No:5556536
Friends of The Winter Gardens Charity No:1064127
