COLCHESTER'S famous Minories gallery will be reopening "as soon as possible" after the trust which owns the building secured £125,000 in Government funding to push forward with its revamp plans.

The Grade II listed East Street gallery closed in June when Colchester Institute and Wilkin and Sons said they could no longer afford to run it.

A fundraising campaign was launched by the Victor Batte Lay Foundation, which owns the premises, to reopen the building, with £7,000 being raised from the public.

Bids were also put in for grants and the charity has secured £125,501 from the Government and Arts Council England's Culture Recovery Fund.

A large chunk of the money will go directly to freelance artists and curators in order to create a new programme of exhibitions for the gallery when it reopens.

Four new programmes, employing eleven artists and three curators, will be launched - providing opportunities for artists to exhibit their work.

It has also allowed the charity to employ permanent and part-time staff to push forward the reopening plans, which will include running a cafe to raise further funds for the premises.

The building is being redecorated at the moment, but the trust says the gallery will be opening "as soon as possible".

Trustee of the Victor Batte Lay Foundation Ben Coode-Adams said: "Thank you to all our supporters. We can all feel vindicated that their trust in us, and all our love for the Minories has born fruit and the gallery will reopen filled with art and artists again.

"Now all we have to do is instigate our plans – this is just the beginning.

"I’m really looking forward to sitting in the Minories garden, drinking a delicious cup of coffee having spent time looking round what I know will be a programme of stimulating and diverse exhibitions and events.

"We are really grateful to Arts Council England and the Culture Recovery Fund for giving us this opportunity for excellence."