Shepton’s Amulet revival secures £10,000 funding boost

By Laura Linham 16th Oct 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 1 hour ago

The campaign to bring Shepton Mallet's Amulet back into community ownership has secured a £10,000 heritage funding award. The Market Place venue appears in the Architectural Heritage Fund's October 2026 list of successful applicants.

The money has been awarded to The Amulet Centre through the Heritage Revival Fund's project viability programme. These grants support early work to establish whether proposals for historic buildings are achievable and sustainable, rather than paying for restoration itself.

The award comes as campaigners continue working towards buying and reopening the building. According to their published action plan, a community share offer raised £128,000 from 303 investors, who became members of the community benefit society behind the project.

The group began work in May 2023 and has carried out public consultations alongside building surveys covering matters including the roof, asbestos, electrics, fire safety and theatrical equipment. A board of ten directors was elected from the membership in January 2026.

Volunteers have already demonstrated how parts of the building could be used. With temporary access to the ground floor in 2025, they created a pop-up venue with a 65-seat auditorium, exhibition gallery, café bar and space for live music.

The longer-term plan is to purchase the Amulet, undertake essential repairs and restore services before reopening it for community activities and performances. Later ambitions include recording facilities and artists' studios.

Campaigners say grants will provide most of the money needed for the purchase and reopening. The October award supports the development of the project, with the wider acquisition and refurbishment still requiring funding.

More information about the campaign and its plans is available on the Let's Buy the Amulet website. The group's aim is permanent community ownership, allowing the building to serve local people over the long term.