A local charity had applied for a £1.8m grant to restore a historic school building and reopen it for the local community

Edmonton Charity School and (inset) the Learning for Life Charity

A local charity that had been working on a project to reopen a derelict building for community and educational use has had its bid for funding rejected.

Efforts to restore the 230-year-old former Edmonton Charity School building in Church Street and reopen it as a learning hub had centred around a £1.8m bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Despite winning first-stage funding two years ago, which enabled the project to be developed further, the second-round bid has now been rejected.

The Grade 2-listed building in Edmonton Green – first opened as a girls’ school in 1793 – has lain derelict for a decade. The ‘Life in the Community’ project to restore it was led by a partnership between Enfield-based Learning for Life Charity (LFLC) and the London Historic Buildings Trust (LHBT) with an aim to provide learning and training opportunities for young people with special educational needs or those who are disadvantaged.

However, Panay Richards from LFLC wrote a letter to stakeholders this week and said: “LHBT and LFLC are extremely sorry to have to let you know that our application for delivery phase funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has not been successful.

“Following discussion of this decision with them, they have advised us not to reapply for the project as they feel that the risks associated with the project outweigh the outcomes.

“This is very disappointing news and as the major funder we are now digesting the fact that this project will not be progressing further. Over coming weeks both trusts will be exploring the impact of this decision and what the next steps in relation to the Charity School are likely to be and will provide a further update once this is clearer.

“We had a strong vision for a new and meaningful future for the school, providing real benefit for young people from the community and we’re proud of our ambitions and want to thank you enormously for your support and dedication to that vision. We’re sorry that we weren’t able to secure that future.”

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