Britain’s United Synagogue (US) has been awarded a £1.7 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to open the Willesden Jewish Cemetery to the public as the “House of Life” place of heritage.
The award, announced on Wednesday, follows a two-year development, with HLF support, of a £2.3 million project to “conserve cemetery buildings and a small number of memorials, green the landscape and improve bio-diversity, and to offer activities, volunteering and training opportunities for a greater number and range of visitors.”
The HLF awards grants to heritage projects in two stages: development and delivery. In September 2015 the HLF awarded the United Synagogue a stage one development grant of £321,000 for the project. The United Synagogue was given 18 months to fully develop plans, at which point it had to submit plans in order to compete for the next stage — which has now been successful.
At the time of the 2015 development grant, the United Synagogue said the project
will incorporate a new visitor centre, a permanent exhibition and online education project and is the first of a number of heritage projects the US is looking to develop over the next five years in time for its 150th anniversary under a new team being developed by Alex Goldberg, the former Chief Executive of London Jewish Forum, who the United Synagogue have brought in as Consultant Chief of Heritage.
Commenting on the grant announced Wednesday, Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London, said: “Willesden Cemetery is an incredibly important part of Jewish, London and national heritage, so we’re delighted to support its ambitious and exciting plans for the future, thanks of course to money raised by National Lottery players. Vital conservation work and new interpretation of the site will ensure Willesden’s remarkable story of survival continues and the opportunities for volunteers, wildlife and communities are set to begin a fantastic new chapter for Brent.”
With some 29,800 graves and founded in 1872-73, Willesden is one of the largest and most important of England’s Victorian-era Jewish burial places. It is the only Jewish cemetery on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. Funerary buildings, the UK’s first national Jewish war memorial, and three tombs were listed Grade II by Historic England in 2017.
According to the announcement of the new grant, these are the stages of the project, which will be carried out over three years. It is scheduled to get under way by late spring 2018, “subject to receipt of planning approval from the London Borough of Brent for adaptation of the Lodge and maintenance compound, and the raising of the required additional funding.”
— From 2019, The Edwardian entrance Lodge will be refurbished as a visitor welcome centre. Claire-voie openings in the Pound Lane exterior wall will afford views into the cemetery, with new planting along paths.
— Conservation of the original Prayer Hall and linked funerary buildings will serve the needs of funeral visitors, as Willesden will remain an active burial ground for decades to come. Adaptation of these spaces will also provide facilities for school visits, talks and exhibitions.
— The stories of people buried at Willesden and histories of the Jewish community will be told through guided walks, talks, films, signage, maps and a website.
— Activities will start from later in 2018, ranging from genealogy to creative writing and photography. Temporary exhibitions will showcase Jewish history as part of local and London heritage. Visitors will be encouraged to contribute their own family’s stories to the project.
— The “House of Life” aims to engage an audience of some 30,000 people over three years from among schools, local residents, Londoners and tourists.
— Willesden Cemetery will become a hub for volunteering, with people of different backgrounds developing skills and working together to capture, protect and share the site’s heritage.
— There will be many opportunities to volunteer in one-off, seasonal or continuing roles. Volunteers will work alongside United Synagogue staff to plant new gardens, steward events, catalogue graves, host school groups, develop exhibitions and research histories.
“House of Life” Project web site