Securing the future: important support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Fairfield House is to benefit from an important first significant development in staffing capacity. Starting 2025, thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Fairfield House Bath CIC will recruit three staff members, and the building will get a long overdue heating system upgrade. 

This decision comes after a competitive process administered by the Heritage Fund, which is the UK’s largest funder for the heritage projects, using money raised by National Lottery players. 

Currently the CIC, which leases Fairfield House from the owner Bath & NE Somerset Council, employs one part-time operations manager and a part-time cleaner. Thanks to the Heritage Fund grant it will shortly start recruiting a part-time project manager and facilities manager. In a long-overdue move the operations manager role now becomes full time. Fairfield House will also retain a part-time bookkeeper.

Stuart McLeod, Director of England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to support Fairfield House CIC Bath to preserve the important heritage of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, including his former residence Fairfield House. Thanks to National Lottery players they will be able to take the next steps towards building organisational resilience and sustainability, ensuring that both the tangible and intangible legacy of HIM is shared with the people of Bath and beyond.”

Fairfield House chair of Trustees Fisseha Combley said: “This capacity building is essential if we’re to protect and celebrate the unique legacy to Bath and to Britain of HIM Emperor Haile Selassie. As well as its core purpose serving elderly people, Fairfield House is of exceptional historic and cultural importance to all people of Ethiopian and African origin, to Rastafari and also to the local people of Bath. 

“Working with our partners B&NES Council, Bath Spa University and the National Trust these new resources will allow us to plan longer-term and build on the good start made on essential repairs to the fabric of the building,” he said.