With an annual income of around £10,000, the legacy gift came as a complete shock to the charity’s volunteers, who now hope the funds will help attract visitors from across the country. The charity was not geared up to handle a legacy of this size and has received ongoing support from CAF, including staged payments from them.
Geo-environmental engineer and charity chair Katrina Pentlow said: “It’s what dreams are made of for a charity our size. We went from fundraising little by little at local events, and through memberships and grants, to suddenly being able to cover the costs of a major refurbishment project. We weren’t geared up for dealing with that kind of money, but it’s a fantastic position to be in, and we hope to do the donor proud.”
The charity has been able to unveil the revamped structure in recent months, as the gift meant they could cover £30,000 in costs for a millwright, a specialist mill engineer, to install framework sails.