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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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The second round of Torbay’s Local Heritage Grants has been awarded to 13 projects in Brixham, Paignton and Torquay. These range from heritage cinema and theatre productions to local history signage at Shoalstone Seawater Pool, as we delve into the fascinating history of Torbay.
This is the second round of awards, following last year’s successful first round. A third and final round will open in September 2024.
The aim of the grants is to improve access and participation in Torbay’s heritage and raise awareness of, and celebrate, Torbay’s UNESCO Global Geopark designation.
The scheme was again very popular and competitive. Applicants who were not successful this time have been offered feedback and many will have a chance to re-apply or signposted to other funding sources.
It is thanks to an investment of £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund that Torbay Council and partners are able to run this scheme. The funding has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players.
Cllr Jackie Thomas, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Culture & Events and Corporate Services at Torbay Council, said: ‘‘We are delighted to share details about the latest round of awarded local heritage grants. We are really impressed with the creativity of the projects and how they will enable the local community to learn about and celebrate our rich history. A huge thank you to our partners at The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark for supporting this initiative and helping to make these projects a reality.’’
Jacob Brandon, Chair of Torbay Culture, said: ‘‘The range of projects that have come through the second round of the Local Heritage Grant Scheme once again shows the potential of our local people and organisations to deliver unique and insightful programming. This innovative fund, enabled by the forward-thinking approach of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, has given us a model for how we can empower Torbay residents to tell our stories and shape this place."
One of the projects included in the funding is being delivered by Play Torbay, a charity that offers year-round activities to improve provision for children and young people living in Torbay. Part of their initiative is to create a ‘GeoPark Gateway’ from willow and hazel, representing the geological layers and the rock formations of Torbay.
Dan Rees-Jones, Operations manager for Play Torbay, explained: “As an associate Partner of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geoparks Play Torbay, we’re thrilled to be one of the successful heritage funded projects this year. Our intention is to involve children and families in the local heritage of Torbay through playful activities at the Indigos Play & Ecology Centre in Brixham.
“This got off to a great start at our 25th Birthday Party on the 6th July where amongst other celebrations, we built the framework for the Geo Park Gateway to the woodland area in conjunction with our project partners Weird Sticks.
“With the support of the Torbay Lottery Heritage Fund, Hannah and Vik from Weird Sticks the children and young people will be creating little creatures that lived in the different time periods of Torbay’s development. The creatures will be incorporated into the new willow gateway.”
Also included in the funding is a project by All Saints Church in Torre, which will develop an Agatha Christie themed mobile application featuring the church.
Father Peter March of All Saints Church said: "We are really pleased to receive a grant from the heritage fund. It presents an exciting opportunity to further raise the unique historical profile of All Saints, Torre, as the place where Agatha Christie was baptised, and to celebrate her links to the Bay. As the third best selling author of all time, after the Bible and Shakespeare, Agatha Christie is of interest to many and our project seeks to connect with people locally, nationally and internationally. We see this as a blessing for the whole community."
Nick Powe, Chair of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark said: ‘‘The Geopark organisation is delighted to see this second round of Grant awards providing all kinds of opportunities for our local community to celebrate their own special part of our UNESCO designation. We are excited to see the delivery of these projects.’’
A list of the awards is below:
Exeter Phoenix Limited - Torquay's Cinema Heritage - £4,995
Exeter Phoenix Limited will create a series of short films to document oral histories of Torquay's lost cinema landscape. This project will engage modern cinema audiences with heritage and encourage pride in place through deeper understanding of the social history of significant buildings and sites in Torquay.
South Devon Players Theatre & Film Co - South Devon Players - £500
South Devon Players Theatre & Film Co will support the Brixham Heritage World War 2 commemorations by providing costumes and staging for an historic enactment at Brixham museum.
Friends of Devon’s Archives (FODA) - Torquay in the Twenties - £5,000
FODA will enable local people to explore the history of Torquay during a fascinating decade, the 1920s, making use of the newly catalogued Cary archive and other local heritage material.
Jazz Hands CIC - A Taste for Heritage - £5,000
Jazz Hands CIC will build on the current Audience at the Palace programme of daytime talks. They will introduce future talks and live streaming on themes such as Torbay food heritage, its people, sport and customs.
Paignton Heritage Society - A History of Paignton - £7,500
Paignton Heritage Society will partner with local schools and the community to produce resources for engaging primary school children in their local history and improving literacy skills.
Unleashed Theatre Company - D’Oyle Carte Theatre Company in Torbay - £7,500
This project will create a theatre piece, radio play, documentary and book about ‘The Pirate of Penzance.
Sound Communities CIC - Here and Now - £7,500
Sound Communities CIC will build on the Here and Now project, where oral histories were collected from Torbay residents of all ages at libraries, in care homes, memory cafes and community events. These stories are currently only online and at two libraries, but this funding will allow Sound Communities to create a website, increasing the number of stories and raising the profile with a launch event.
Winner Street Community - Winner Street Living History Museum - £3,870
Winner Street Community will introduce a programme of events including afternoon talks, pop-up sessions, an historic features trail and walk through museum.
Shoalstone Seawater Pool CIO - Shoalstone Seawater Pool Heritage Project - £6,680
Shoalstone Seawater Pool CIO will create six display panels telling stories of bygone ages such as pirates and smugglers and medieval Brixham, as well as of Torbay’s Geopark status.
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All Saints Church, Torre, Torquay - The local heritage of All Saints Church, Torre - £7,500
All Saints Church will develop an Agatha Christie themed mobile application featuring the church. This is a collaboration between South Devon College students and the Hi Tech and Digital Centre.
Cabbage Tree Studio CIC - Picturesque Torbay - £4,995
Cabbage Tree Studio CIC will explore the English Riveria Geopark through the eyes of artists. This project was inspired by a JMW Turner painting and will seek out views once painted by artists, to capture them and inspire community participation.
Play Torbay – Inquisitive about Indigos - £4,999
Play Torbay will develop new sites and initiatives including a wildflower meadow, GeoPark Gateway, community polytunnel and eight nature geopark sessions.
Brixham Arts & Theatre Society (BATS) with Prospect Brixham CIC - Putting Brixham’s Architectural Heritage on the Map - £7,500
This project will create walks that reflect Brixham’s heritage, with themes such as industrial heritage, flora and fauna and smugglers and pirates.
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