Dronfield Heritage Trust, the organisation which runs Dronfield Hall Barn on the town’s High Street, has been awarded a grant of £247,239 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to continue to preserve the Barn and gardens “for everyone’s enjoyment” for years to come.

Announcing the grant, the Heritage Fund said the award is “to continue the work started in 2025 in building a sustainable business model for the future of Dronfield Hall Barn.”

This is the second resilience grant awarded to Dronfield Heritage Trust and reflects the significant progress made by the new Board of Trustees to review its organisational processes, business planning and fundraising strategies.

Between 2012 – 2015 Dronfield Heritage Trust rescued and restored the Grade II* listed medieval building which dates back to 1430. The Dronfield Hall Barn project, regarded as one of the finest examples of restorative work in the East Midlands, included an archaeological site survey and was supported by the Heritage Fund alongside generous donations from the community.   

Ten years on, the Dronfield Heritage Trust continues to raise income through the hire of its historic Gallery and modern meeting room, private functions, catering, and community events. The recent Medieval Festival drew over 400 visitors from across a wide area and raised around £3000.

Chair of Trustees Louise Third MBE said: “We are extremely grateful to have received further support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is thanks to National Lottery players that this grant will allow us more time to embed the management changes we have begun and employ a full-time fundraiser and partnerships manager.

“In today’s tough economic conditions, the challenge for us now is to identify the best business model for such a valued and popular site.”

ENDS

The announcement of The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s award to Dronfield Heritage Trust can be found here: https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/about/decisions/england-midlands-east-delegated-decisions-april-2026

Notes

About Dronfield Heritage Trust

Dronfield Heritage Trust is the custodian of the Dronfield Hall Barn, a historic Grade II* listed building dating back to 1430. The Barn was restored and extended with the support of a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant and generous public donations. The work was completed in 2015 and the building opened to the public in 2016. In addition to the Barn Coffee Shop, the venue runs a varied events programme covering artisan markets, exhibitions, festivals, weddings, wakes, parties, and corporate gatherings.

Local community groups regularly use the space and the surrounding grounds provide a beautiful setting for special events and casual visitors. A team of volunteers and partners works year round to create a vibrant historic community hub for Dronfield and district.

Dronfield Heritage Trust is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. The Board of Trustees has overall strategic responsibility for the project.

www.dronfieldhallbarn.org.

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. 

Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.

www.heritagefund.org.uk

Follow @HeritageFundUK on X/Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund

 

 

Dronfield Heritage Trust, the charity behind the management of award-winning Dronfield Hall Barn has attracted its first corporate sponsor – Helen J Wright Wealth Management. The opportunity for companies to work with the trust reflects its ambition to develop the heritage site into a destination venue.

Helen Wright, a wealth manager under the St James’ Place Partnership is based in Chesterfield and familiar with Dronfield Hall Barn. She learned of the charity’s search for sponsorship and wanted to explore how she could help.

Helen commented: “I am proud to have worked in the Financial Services sector for over 30 years, looking after the financial wellbeing of my clients.

As a client, you have access to a comprehensive range of wealth management advice and extremely high standards of personal service. Our philosophy is simple: to provide financial peace of mind for you and your family, both now and in the future. 

Over the years, I like to ‘earn the right’ to become your trusted financial adviser, helping you to make informed financial decisions throughout your life.”   

Helen started her company Helen J Wright Wealth Management in December 2014 and her advice covers the financial management issues which affect individuals as well as families.

“Many people want to find ways to protect their financial future so we explore the various options. Where they have funds to invest we look into building a portfolio which makes the most of those funds and tax implications. Clients often want to support the family and the next generation so estate planning, leaving a legacy and later life planning as well as wealth distribution all come within my expertise.”

Chair of Trustees Louise Third says: “Helen’s contribution to our work is very welcome and allows us to fund some smaller projects. She also becomes part of our wider charity community, and we look forward to seeing her at several events in the coming months.

“Helen has also led the way for other companies to work with us. We can provide sponsorship opportunities for community events, heritage exhibitions, and gardens’ development. We are happy to explore the best promotional fit for any corporate partner.”

Restoration of the Dronfield Hall Barn was completed in late 2015 with grant funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and community donations. Thanks to the continuing generosity of National Lottery players, the Dronfield Heritage Trust received a new grant in 2025 to review its operations and develop future plans.

Now, the Grade II* listed building offers venue hire, catered celebrations, heritage events and a popular Coffee Shop. An estimated 60,000 visitors enjoy the charity’s events and public access to the gardens during open hours.