A major grant of £24,000 from the Donald Collister Heritage Programme was presented to the Laa Columb Killey Committee last week by the Trustees of Manx National Heritage (Manx Museum and National Trust). The funding will be put towards the purchase of a new exhibition tent but was announced early in time for the Laa Columb Killey fair, which took place on Thursday 27th June.
The Donald Collister Heritage Programme was established as a result of a generous bequest from John Donald Collister, a former Colby resident, who left an estate valued in the region of £1million to the Manx Museum and National Trust.
The grant to Laa Columb Killey is just one part of the new strategy to support the local heritage of the Arbory Community. Discussions are continuing with a number of people in the community as part of a larger programme which was developed when Manx National Heritage completed a ten week public consultation to ensure the bequest would be used in a way which reflected Donald Collister’s wishes and interests.
Reponses to the consultation concluded that;
- A heritage grant framework, administered by MNH, should be established to create a partnership approach where projects can be delivered by others.
- The local community of Colby and Arbory should benefit.
- Trustees should seek to create a strong sense of community benefit, both on a national and local scale, to be sustainable and protect heritage and attract new visitors.
Chairman of Laa Columb Killey Ron Strathdee said;
“We are delighted to see the legacy of Donald Collister being recognised for the benefit of his local community. Donald was a keen exhibitor of the horticultural display and supporter of Laa Columb Killey in the past.”
Tony Pass, Chairman of the Manx Museum and National Trust said;
“We are very pleased to offer the grant to Laa Columb Killey, with Donald himself being an active supporter and as the Isle of Man’s longest running parish fair, we believe it is a sound investment in the future of contemporary living heritage on the Island and will be enjoyed by the Arbory community for years to come.”
The Manx Museum and National Trust will be making further announcements over the summer to confirm how future grants will be allocated and how the associated heritage programmes will be delivered.