Norfolk’s newest heritage railway is one of more than 440 organisations across the country to benefit from a cut of a £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund.

Whitwell and Reepham Station, in mid-Norfolk has received a lifeline grant of £49,000 in the first wave of government funding designed to help heritage and cultural organisations through the coronavirus pandemic.

The Government’s Culture Recovery Fund is designed to secure the future of Britain’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites which have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

A total of 445 organisations, including Whitwell and Reepham Station, will share £103 million worth of grants to help restart vital reconstruction work and maintenance to keep venues open and to support those working in the sector.

The grant awarded to Whitwell & Reepham Station will be used for tools for the station workshop, a new system for scanning historical documents and a new online portal to access them.

A proportion of the grant will also be used to provide a children’s playarea.

Richard Bailey, trustee of the Whitwell and Reepham Station, said: “This grant is essential to keeping historical items safe ready for the future, it also will help attract more people to the station in these hard times.

“We have been open since venues were allowed to have customers back inside, and we have found a lot of support both for what we have done, and what we have planned with this grant.”

Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s chief executive said: “It is heartening to see grants, both large and small, from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund helping heritage sites and organisations across the country which have been hit hard by the effects of Covid-19.

“These grants range from giving skilled craft workers the chance to keep their trades alive to helping heritage organisations pay the bills, and to kick-starting repair works at our best-loved historic sites.

“The funding is an essential lifeline for our heritage and the people who work tirelessly to conserve it for us all, so that we can hand it on to future generations.”