A NORTHLEACH charity has been awarded a National Lottery grant of £235,000 to create a range of volunteer-led projects at the Old Prison. 

The small charity - Friends of the Cotswolds - previously bought the prison from Cotswold District Council in 2013 to ensure it remained open to the public. 

Heritage projects will start next month and will deliver a range of developments at the prison. 

Supported through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project will enable people of all ages to engage with their local history and explore the roots of this important site.

Proposed schemes include a community garden, an education programme with local primary schools, an oral history project and exhibitions in partnership with Corinium Museum and Gloucestershire Constabulary Archives. 

David Rockey from the charity said: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are confident the project will support more people to connect with the Heritage of the Old Prison.”

The charity also says there will be opportunities for volunteers to get involved with full training provided. 

Friends of the Cotswolds have also received over £14,000 in grants from other organisations including - Gloucestershire County Council, Northleach with Eastington Town Council and trustees, Northleach Youth Club and Community Trust and Notgrove Trust. 

Away from the Old Prison, the charity also supports local apprentices through their Cotswold Craft Apprenticeship Scheme which they promote with funds available for new apprentices.

In 2017/2018 the group closed the prison doors temporarily to carry out significant developments with improvements to the café, gallery, washrooms and vital repairs to the roof being carried out. 

The site is also home to the Cotswolds National Landscape team and community radio station Cotswolds Radio.

Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK.