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Cushendun Old Church makes it to Restoration Village final
Restoration Village presenter Griff Rhys Jones tonight
reveals that Cushendun Old Church in Northern Ireland has been chosen to be the
sixth building to go through to the final of this year's 91Èȱ¬ TWO series.
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Last Friday (September 1), in the sixth episode of the new series, Griff called
upon viewers to make their mark on history and choose between three buildings in
Northern Ireland: Cushendun Old Church, Cushendun; Gracehill Old School,
Gracehill and The White House, Newtownabbey.
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Anona Robertson, a trustee of Cushendun Old Church, said: "This is
absolutely fabulous news! We're overjoyed!
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"We really couldn't have imagined a
few months ago when we were setting up the Trust that we would be where we are
today. It's a wonderful day for the Glens of Antrim.
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"We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted for us and to all the
people in Cushendun, and further afield, who helped so enthusiastically and
energetically with our publicity campaign.
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"We can hardly believe we're now
through to the Restoration Final on 17th September and we'll be hoping that the
whole of Northern Ireland will be rooting for us then."
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Cushendun Old Church is one of the most significant buildings in the National
Trust village of Cushendun.
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The entire village is a work of art, a unique
planned settlement partly designed by Clough Williams-Ellis, the architect and
conservationist who created the model village of Portmeirion.
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This year the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has set aside £1.9m for The
Restoration Fund to help restore the winners.
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Kevin Baird, HLF Manager for Northern Ireland, said
today: "Cushendun Old Church is a heritage gem and HLF is delighted it has
reached the final.
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"HLF is committed to helping as many people as possible celebrate their
heritage, so we have set aside £1.9m for The Restoration Fund to help
restore the winners.
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"I would encourage people from all over Northern Ireland to
really get behind their finalist and guarantee a future for Cushendun Old Church
by pledging their votes."
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Tonight's result means the Cushendun church becomes one of eight buildings to be
featured in the live grand final, to be held at Weald and Downland Open Air
Museum in Chichester on Sunday 17 September.
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Here, a nationwide vote will decide which building should be given a new lease
of life with money raised throughout the course of the series.
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Three more of the nation's threatened architectural treasures, in North of
England, are tonight (Friday 8 September) vying for the public vote: Howsham
Mill, North Yorkshire; Heugh Gun Battery, Hartlepool; and Higherford Mill,
Lancashire.
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Details of local roadshows, being held this weekend to tie in with the
transmission of the episode, are available at bbc.co.uk/restoration.
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Next Friday's update episode of Restoration Village will
reveal which of these will become the seventh building to go through to the
final.
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Lines are now open and viewers can vote by calling 09013 600 500.
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Voting
lines are open from 12.01am every Friday for each programme until midnight
on Tuesday.
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If the building you voted for hasn't won its regional heat, don't give up hope.
It still has a chance.
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The runner-up with the most votes across the series will become our eighth
finalist and go through to compete for the Restoration prize fund.
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The update
programme on 91Èȱ¬ TWO on Friday 15 September will reveal the full line-up of
all eight finalists, and the specific voting numbers for each, ahead of the final
two days later.
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Restoration Village is produced by Cheetah Television (part of Endemol UK) for
91Èȱ¬ Scotland.
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Information on all 21 buildings featured in the series, and regional finalists,
is available through bbc.co.uk/restoration.
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For information on the HLF, please go to www.hlf.org.uk.
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Each call will cost £1 with 77p going directly to the Restoration Fund, a
registered charity.
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Calls from a BT landline will cost £1. Calls from mobiles
and other networks may vary.
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Monies raised from the voting lines will be used for the building that receives
the most votes in the final provided it fulfils the conditions set out by the
Trustees of The Restoration Fund.
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Over and above the money from the phone-lines, the Heritage Lottery Fund has set
aside £1.9m for Restoration Village.
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HLF will make a Project Planning Grant (PPG) available to all those projects
short-listed for the final that need further help with their planning, up to the
value of £50,000 each.
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The rest will go to the winning building (subject to
approval by the Restoration Fund) along with monies raised by viewer votes. Ìý
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