I recently attended a tour of this beautiful 19th Century (1899) arcade located in Dewsbury town centre set up by Heritage Open Days – England’s largest festival of history and culture, bringing together over 2,500 organisations, 5,000 events and 40,000 volunteers.
The arcade was a popular thoroughfare for locals up until as recently as 2014, and it sadly had to close due to poor management and lack of investment by its previous owners, as well as decreased footfall in the town centre.
Fortunately, it recently won Heritage Lottery funding (£4.5m) and its new community-run management group has a compelling plan for its restoration and reopening in 2025, which you can read about on their dedicated website.
Inspired by my visit and passion of the local people involved, I’ve become a community investor and trustee to follow their progress and offer my professional support wherever possible.