The team at Morecambe Winter Gardens has called for "one last push" after a last-ditch grant left them close to their fundraising target to restore the theatre's foyer floor.
Earlier this year, the Morecambe theatre launched a fundraising campaign to raise £45,000 towards the full restoration of the foyer tiles, ceramic floor and features.
This week the Pilgrim Trust, an independent charitable trust, has given £12,000 towards the work.
This has left the Winter Gardens just short of reaching the amount required.
Its Spacehive fundraising page shows that £43,320 has been raised. You can find the page here.
"Delighted to announce that the Winter Gardens Preservation Trust has been awarded a grant of £12,000 towards the restoration of our beautiful mosaic floor," said a post on the Morecambe Winter Gardens Facebook page on Thursday.
"We now need less than £2000 to reach our target & less than 12 days remaining. Help us reach our target one last push by donating via Spacehive or sharing our campaign. Thank you to all our contributors small and large and spread the word."
Read more: FEATURE: Morecambe Winter Gardens launch crowdfunder for foyer restoration - Beyond Radio
Professor Vanessa Toulmin, chair of the Winter Gardens Preservation Trust who own the 19th century building, said earlier this year:
"The Morecambe Winter Gardens is currently in the middle of a five year restoration project.
‘"This work has to be complete before the main work, funded by (the government) Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council, can begin, and this is not part of the funding we have attracted so far for capital works.
"Our wonderful volunteers last year alone gave 17,000 hours of time to the building. But some things we cannot do, such as specialist restoration work required for our beautiful mosaic floor, designed in 1897 by the Campbell Tile Company.
"Its features are unique and bespoke. Years or neglect, vandalism and damage have resulted in the floor currently covered and protected, but as the more people come into the building the greater the possible damage.
‘’We have a small window of opportunity this October to March 2024 when we close the theatre for essential work to restore & replace the many thousands of tesserae tiles that make up the floor and replace elements of the Victorian features that were stolen under previous ownership.’’
‘’It’s hoped the floor will be able to be restored through traditional sustainable methods by master craftspeople, to reveal what lies beneath - a magnficent architectural feature that has been covered for a long time."
The theatre, which closed in 1977 but has been able to open regularly in recent years thanks to the restoration efforts of volunteers, has had a number of funding boosts in 2023.
Read more: Further cash boost for Morecambe Winter Gardens announced - Beyond Radio
Morecambe Winter Gardens gets £2.7m boost for major expansion plans - Beyond Radio
Man accused of stealing joints of meat at Lancaster Asda by hiding them in his trousers
LISTEN and PHOTOS: Spectacular display of 12,000 poppies unveiled at Lancaster landmark
Eden Project Morecambe boss gives update on early stages of work on new £100m attraction
Lancaster, Morecambe and Carnforth Remembrance services announced
Road closures for pre-Tour de France work announced for Lancaster district
Lancaster rock guitarist braves beard shave for charity
Two arrests made after post office robbery in Lancaster
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra to perform concert for schools at Morecambe Winter Gardens
PHOTOS: Plans go in for major Lancaster regeneration scheme
Lancaster music venue's heartfelt message ahead of final night on New Year's Eve
Morecambe school named among one of England's most improved for attendance
Lancaster hospital nursing boss appointed to University of Cumbria honorary role
Morecambe Football Club placed under another embargo by the National League
£1.5m Lancaster scheme to boost water quality in River Lune is complete
Family pays tribute to Lancaster pensioner who died in road crash
Popular artist's print of Morecambe Bay Academy to be launched at alumni evening
Work set to begin on new Heysham skate park
Light Up Lancaster promises to illuminate city with ‘No Boundaries’
Sadness as Morecambe sports and social club suffers break-in on night of reopening
Man arrested after death of pensioner in Lancaster road crash
