Much-needed investment at South Shields' The Customs House after venue lands £390,000 from Biffa Award

Similar to many arts venues, The Customs House has had a rough couple of years at the hands of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ray Spencer, executive director, at the arts centre in Mill Dam, South Shields, said the £390,784.60 from the Biffa Award pot would fund very necessary improvements to its facilities.

“We were over the moon to find out that our funding application to Biffa Award, as part of their Partnership Grant Scheme had been successful. We are truly grateful to have been one of only a handful of charities to have their project supported,” he said.

“This funding will bring some fantastic improvements to our facilities, including: retractable seating in the main house and cinema.

"We’re also going to refurbish Daltons 4 to create a designated Learning and Participation Hub, and in our upper fusion gallery, we will be installing an Interactive Theatre Experience. It’s a really exciting time”.

Since 1997, Biffa Award has awarded grants totalling more than £185million to thousands of worthwhile community and environmental projects across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The programme administers money donated by Biffa Group Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Rachel Maidment, Biffa Award grants manager, said: “Through our Partnership Grants Scheme, Biffa Award is delighted to be able to fund these exciting enhancements at Customs House, including a state-of-the-art interactive theatre experience – the first of its kind to be based in a working theatre.

"The project will transform and modernise the building and create an immersive and engaging space in which to encourage creativity among children, young people and families. We can’t wait to see this fantastic project when it is completed.”

The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) is a tax credit scheme allowing operators to contribute money to organisations enrolled with ENTRUST as Environmental Bodies (EBs).

EBs use this funding for a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of landfill sites Landfill operators are able to claim a credit (currently 4.2%) against their landfill tax liability for 90% of the contributions they make.

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters.

Your support for our journalism means we can continue telling South Tyneside’s stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe - and click here to get a snapshot of the Gazette’s news and sport to your inbox through our email newsletters.