A GRANT of £55,300, made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, is set to launch and new volunteer scheme and restore 18 precious sculptures in need of urgent care in Harlow, Essex, including Henry Moore’s iconic Family Group.

The grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund will enable Harlow Art Trust (HAT) to lead the ‘Access Harlow Sculpture Town’ project. The project aims to protect the collection for generations to come and engage people of all ages with Harlow’s unique sculptural heritage.

It marks the 10th anniversary since Harlow became the UK’s first and only Sculpture Town in 2009 in recognition of the town’s significant collection of public sculpture which includes work by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Elisabeth Frink.

Alongside physical conservation, Harlow Art Trust will recruit and train a team of volunteer ‘Sculpture Guardians’ to help keep the collection in good condition for the future and lead tours for schoolchildren, locals and visitors around the sculpture trails. New learning and visitor resources including an updated map, website and family friendly interactive app will be developed to increase access to the collection.

There is also an opportunity for primary schools in Harlow to get involved through ‘Sculpture Week’: a week-long launch involving all 31 schools in the Harlow area. A range of learning and engagement activities will also be delivered in partnership with Art UK’s Sculpture Project, the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, Essex County Council and Harlow District Council.

Chair of Harlow Art Trust Chris Snow said: “Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we can make sure our collection is safe for the people of Harlow for many years to come and raise its profile as the UK’s only Sculpture Town. We are looking forward to holding events and creating new resources to enable even more people to enjoy and learn more about our fantastic collection. We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund recognises the national importance of our collection in Harlow which includes work by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Auguste Rodin.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund, East of England said: “Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are thrilled to support this inspiring project which will repair these significant sculptures and enable more people to fully appreciate them.”