Ilkley Up-Stagers Theatre Group has won the battle to prevent its Lottery funding being snatched away.

The group received a National Lottery grant of £194,252 in July last year.

The money will enable the group to establish its first permanent base in the Barn Centre behind the Midland Hotel in Station Road.

However, the money was conditional on the group matching 25 per cent of the funding and paying off the £30,000 mortgage on the barn.

Up-Stagers were delighted this week with a donation from Ilkley Rotary Club which has secured the lottery money.

A cheque for £5,750 has pushed the Up-Stagers into the 'safety zone' and members are delighted that their dream could soon become a reality.

Gill Jackson, Up-Stagers director, said: "The contribution from the Rotary Club is fantastic news. We are all very hopeful that the project could be completed by November."

Roy Watson, president of the Ilkley club, said: "We were delighted to help the Up-Stagers. We are happy to provide money for a youth group which offers something to the community. The Up-Stagers certainly fits the bill."

The £30,000 mortgage was paid off with the aid of £16,500 from The Foundation for Sport and the Arts.

As well as providing the Up-Stagers with a permanent home (actors and actresses currently have to rehearse at a variety of venues in the town, including scout huts and school halls), the three storey building will house rehearsal rooms, costume, prop and scenery storage space, scene building workshop and a room to stage small studio-type productions.

There should be further good news for the Up-Stagers next month when the Ilkley Carnival committee reveals the total raised at this year's event - the Up-Stagers being one of the beneficiaries.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.