The Old Royal Naval College is delighted to announce that thanks to overwhelming public support, £1m has been raised for its Future Fund endowment – a figure that will now be matched by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The fund helps ensure that the Old Royal Naval College can continue its vital conservation, community and educational work for years to come.

The campaign was made possible by the Catalyst: Endowments programme set up by the HLF, the DCMS, and Arts Council England, in which every pound raised by the Old Royal Naval College up to 30 June 2016 will be matched. Through investment of the total sum of £2 million, the Future Fund will provide the Old Royal Naval College with a stable, long-term financial income.

“It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate our achievement today”, said Mary Ellen Cetra, Development and Communications Director upon raising the target before the deadline. “We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received from everyone from our Board of Trustees to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who were inspired to support us by the sheer beauty, and historical significance of this amazing site.

“None of this would have happened were it not for the HLF/DCMS Catalyst programme which has not only laid the groundwork for securing the future of the Old Royal Naval College, but charities throughout the UK”.

Fundraising for the Future Fund started back in the summer of 2012, and public support for the campaign has grown increasingly. More than half of the £1m target was donated by visitors on site, with the remainder coming from major individual gifts, corporations, Old Royal Naval College memberships and the Old Royal Naval College Chapel Fund.

Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London, said: “We are delighted that thanks to National Lottery players we are able to support the Old Royal Naval College’s excellent education, conservation and community work, and to help ensure its future sustainability”.