We have now been formally offered an “additional support” grant of up to £40,000 from Arts Council England.  This money is to enable us to draw up a new campaign to fundraise for future programmes of work, to support programming plans for 2008-9 and to continue audience development initiatives.

I would like to express my thanks to all who wrote to Arts Council England to question their decision to withdraw their regular funding from 31 March 2008.  I have no doubt that the strength of everyone's enthusiasm for The Theatre encouraged them to make this latest offer.

Whilst we would all have wished for a complete reversal of their earlier decision, we are still in receipt of ACE funding for 2008/9 for our programme of organisational development, so this 'additional support' will complement the work and enable us to create and execute a clear fundraising strategy for the future.