Funding for the future
24 May 2006 | The Big Lottery Fund has not chosen the Sky Vault project to go through to the next stages of the Living Landmarks competition. Although disappointed with this decision, the steering board recently met to review progress made since beginning the bid process and discuss new funding opportunities.
Sky Vault was entered into the Living Landmarks competition last summer. At that time the project team was considering potential sites and developing fundamental aspects of the project, from implementing the right company structure to making Sky Vault accessible to the whole of the East Midlands.
Over the following nine months the team took some big steps forward, aided by the Living Landmarks process. Most significantly, the National Forest site was announced in December. Having progressed through the preliminary stages of the competition, the team was confident of being long-listed for a visit from Big Lottery Fund representatives.
Sky Vault was scored against set criteria by the Living Landmarks team. The project earned high marks in terms of links to the Big Lottery Fund themes and outcomes, needs, community and stakeholder involvement, local community impact and options appraisal. However, the project did not score as well as others on questions of risk management and lessons learnt from other projects.
"The Living Landmarks competition was a great funding opportunity", said Tom Hughes, Sky Vault steering board member. "However, prior to approaching the Big Lottery Fund, we were considering a number of funding avenues. As a board, we are currently revisiting these options and considering the most effective way of delivering a landmark, that will symbolise the East Midlands and deliver real benefits for everyone that lives here."