Credit to the baths - American Express awards grant to Moseley Road Baths

Following my previous blog post about potential plans for saving Moseley Road Baths, http://birminghamcentral.blogspot.com/2016/04/out-of-deep-end-exploring-future-for.html, and noting the baths' inclusion on the World Monuments Fund Watch List, American Express has included the baths amongst five Watch List heritage sites to receive money from American Express, https://www.wmf.org/fivetowatch

American Express has invested over $16 million in the preservation of 160 heritage sites in 70 countries, helping to ensure futures for historic sites.  

“Historic preservation has long been a hallmark of American Express and we are proud to serve as a founding sponsor of the World Monuments Watch,” said Timothy J. McClimon, President of the American Express Foundation. “Conserving the world’s most treasured places is an important investment in our history and the heritage of future generations.”

American Express has partnered with a number of leading preservation organizations throughout the past two decades to help preserve sites in need, build awareness, and engage the public in preservation efforts across the world. Through these partnerships and other individual grants, American Express has granted more than $50 million to support hundreds of preservation projects.
https://www.wmf.org/press-release/american-express-partnership-world-monuments-fund-awards-1-million-grants-five-sites

The money and support from American Express and WMF will help with advocacy efforts to ensure the baths remain open for future generations to enjoy, 

The grant of $15,000 will enable the Friends of Moseley Road Baths to mount an open day to publicise their work and emphasise the importance of the Baths to the local community. As well as organising a Watch Day, the Friends hope to be able to use some of the cash to improve the appearance of the front of the building and provide a new sign outside so that people realise the Baths are still open.
 

Mr. Mark Gunton, Treasurer of the Friends of Moseley Road Baths said, ‘The WMF listing has already been hugely beneficial because it has brought the risk to this wonderfully historic building to an international audience. We have had several major organisations expressing an interest in helping us. Now the cash grant will enable us to mount a really impressive event in the building later this year.’

 
The Baths have been under threat of closure since 2013 but will remain in use until early 2017 when Birmingham City Council intends to close the doors for the last time.