Blog

Dear Friends,

One year ago today, we closed Insole Court. We tried to stay open for as long as possible, facing great uncertainty, as funding and Government support had yet to be announced. The Management and Trustee’s made difficult decisions with two goals in mind; 1) Ensure there was still an Insole Court to reopen 2) Protect as many jobs as we can. We were helped through this difficult period, by immediate and overwhelming support from the local community. Donations and new memberships came quickly and made a dramatic difference to both our finances and our spirits. You spoke clearly and empathically, that Insole Court mattered and needed to be saved once again.

Twelve months on, we can reflect on a profoundly difficult, but ultimately, successful year. Thanks to your support and the significant assistance received from our funders (all are acknowledged below), we were able to re-open in June, and we stayed open all the way until further Welsh Government closures in October and December. Classes and activities, continued where possible and whilst many weddings and events were postponed, others went ahead safely and within Government guidelines. My sincerest thanks to our wonderful staff and volunteers for their sterling work in achieving this.

Despite the setbacks, we have continued to invest in the site, creating a second-hand bookshop in the Butler’s Pantry, adding new outdoor seating and a beautiful timber greenhouse in the Courtyard Garden behind the café, ready for future use for garden education in partnership with the National Botanic Garden of Wales. In the coming weeks, we’ll begin work redecorating a previously derelict section of the mansion’s first floor, continuing our long-term mission, to restore and protect this wonderful house. There is still a great deal to do, but we are grateful for the opportunity.

Thanks to you, Insole Court has a bright future ahead with new events, further enhancements and exciting new developments planned. We will continue to work on our shared goals, to make Insole Court available to everyone, to tell its stories and to look after this special place. I hope we can welcome you through our doors again very soon.

Warmest regards,

Gray


The Insole Court Trust gratefully acknowledges the Coronavirus funding support from the following organisations:

National Lottery Heritage Fund

National Lottery Community Fund

Welsh Council for Voluntary Action

Arts Council of Wales

Moondance Foundation

Waterloo Foundation

Welsh Government