A LATE surge in donations and fundraising cash has smashed the £30,000 target to save The Witham.
As the Mercury went to press, £42,121 had been banked – with trustees confident the appeal will reach £50,000 in the coming days – to ensure Barnard Castle’s arts centre doors remain open.
With the future of The Witham now secured in the short term, what happens in the coming weeks and months is due to be outlined at the complex’s annual meeting, which takes place on Thursday.
The public appeal – £30k in 30 days – was launched in early August when trustees revealed how the centre was losing £10,000 a month after struggling financially ever since The Witham reopened after a multi-million pound refurbishment in 2013.
The final fundraising event of the £30k in 30 days campaign was a sell-out old style variety show on Sunday evening, which added more than £3,000 to the kitty.
However, more events have been planned for the coming weeks to keep the cash rolling in, including one-man shows by retired dales vet Neville Turner and antiques expert David Harper.
Other fundraisers include a stall on the Wednesday market, charity event at The Old Well Inn and performance by Barnard Castle Band.
In addition, trustees have pledged to pursue grant applications totalling £100,000 and have launched a campaign to seek £20,000 in business and corporate sponsorship.
Shelagh Avery, volunteer interim director of The Witham, said: “You can’t imagine how proud I feel of the people of Barnard Castle and Teesdale. People had confidence they were investing in something worthwhile.
“It was a slowish start [to the appeal] but people decided they wanted to be part of a success story.”
