Royal Pavilion Dome Repair Fundraiser Relaunched

A charitable organization has renewed its call for donations to preserve one of the domes of Brighton’s renowned Royal Pavilion, aiming for completion before Christmas. An initial urgent appeal was launched in August, seeking funds to mend the dome, which faced an “immediate risk of collapse.” According to Brighton and Hove Museums, £30,000 was successfully gathered. The charity now faces the task of securing an extra £50,000, following the discovery that the extent of the wood rot was more severe than initially assessed. Hedley Swain, the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust, stated: “It’s been here for 200 years, we need it to be here for the next 200 years and looking brilliant for the next 200 years.” Mr. Swain emphasized that “time is of the essence” for these repairs to proceed. During August, Mr. Swain expressed that he was “stunned” by the public’s reaction to the initial appeal, given that £27,500 was collected within three days, exceeding its £17,500 goal. Jo Hatwell, the historic buildings manager for Brighton and Hove Museums, commented: “Although we knew there were certain areas of the render that were weaker that we were monitoring, we were alarmed at just how significant the damage was and the extent of the damage on the wood.” Hatwell described the roof’s deterioration as “devastating.” She added: “We have to galvanise quickly, but our budgets are currently stretched with the vital work we are carrying out on the Brighton Museum and Gallery roof restoration, so we are appealing for extra assistance to help us fix this small but important dome.”