Ambitious £2m plan to brighten ‘Arundel’s jewel’

A small group of committed supporters are determined the Victoria Institute, in Tarrant Street, will once again become one of the jewels in the crown of the town.

The institute’s impressive but distressed frontage is a clear indication that restoration is urgently needed to preserve the Grade II listed building, and that is the immediate priority.

Jake Paton, one of the institute’s three trustee/directors and chairman of the management committee, said: “A group of us got together to make sure the building was preserved – it’s part of the family silver.

“There’s a lovely community feeling in Arundel and we have some marvellous facilities such as the fantastic Town Hall, the Lido, the library and the museum. We want the institute to be on that level and there is a strong desire to keep it going and nurture it.

“The building is held in great affection by many people – a lot of them have happy memories of attending wonderful dances here when they were teenagers.”

Thanks to a grant of almost £11,000 from West Sussex County Council, urgent emergency repairs have already been carried out to the roof to prevent further deterioration.

It is hoped further funding will be granted to repair and improve the frontage as the supporters are anxious to keep the building open in its present state as a stepping stone to their ultimate restoration goal.

But the plans for the Victoria Institute go way beyond preservation – the aim is to carry out major renovation and adaptations to make full use of the space available so it becomes an exciting venue for a whole host of activities.

An application is under way with the Heritage Lottery Fund, but the application process itself is an enormous undertaking and it is expected it will take up to two years to fully design, develop and achieve a Heritage Regional Enterprise grant of £2 million.

About £500,000 is needed to restore the building and it’s estimated another £1.5 million will be required to transform it into the vibrant community hub.

Central to the grant’s success will be showing the institute is financially viable and can offer suitable spaces for performing arts, film and music, alongside provisions for social education.

To get involved in the campaign, see www.thevictoriainstitute.com or email [email protected]

The institute was presented to Arundel in 1897 by the then Duke of Norfolk and founded with a long lease on the land and buildings for ‘the promotion of the moral and intellectual improvement’ of the town’s inhabitants and visitors.