On Friday 19th April Rob Wilson MP and Cllr Jeanette Skeats welcomed Maria Miller MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to Reading to be shown around the Reading Abbey ruins and to hear about the all-party supported Reading Borough Council attempts to secure Heritage Lottery Fund grants.
Reading Borough Council has applied on two previous occasions to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for money to fund major repair works to the ruins. Unfortunately both applications were unsuccessful and Rob is working with partners and the HLF in an attempt to secure a successful third bid.
In an attempt to raise awareness for the council’s plans to repair the Abbey ruins, Rob arranged for the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to visit the site and be shown around with some of the council officers, including Amar Dave, Director of Culture, Media and Sport at the Council and Reading East Chairman Emma Webster and Reading Borough Cllr for Thames ward Jeanette Skeats.
After the visit from Maria Miller MP, Rob said, “I am grateful to Maria for visiting Reading East and in particular the Abbey ruins today. The Heritage Lottery Fund has been very helpful with its advice to the council before they submit their latest application for funding. I hope that together we can secure the money needed to repair this site of great historical importance”.