The Wish Tower Friends is one of the first groups in the UK to receive a Heritage Lottery Fund Sharing Heritage grant.

The Friends’ project, Sharing the Future of the Wish Tower, has been given £9,500 to carry out a community-led research and study project to develop a conservation management plan for the building, a Grade II listed Martello Tower and Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Sharing Heritage is a new funding programme to help people across the UK explore, conserve and share all aspects of the history and character of their local area.

The Friends, with the help of ExtraVerte Community Projects CIC, cleared the rubbish from the site and have reopened it to the public for tours and events after over a decade of closure. The tower needs significant repair and restoration but none of this can take place until a conservation management plan is drawn up.

The CMP will examine the state of the building and also detail the history and significance of the tower both locally and nationally, to suggest what the future should hold for it.

Friends spokesperson Liz Crew said, “We’re really excited this grant will allow us to complete the CMP much quicker than originally envisaged.

“What we’ve done with the Wish Tower so far has been really well received and this will give us the opportunity to involve even more people in bringing the Wish Tower back to life.

Stuart McLeod from the Lottery Fund said, “We are delighted to offer this grant so the tower Friends can embark on a real journey of discovery.”