Lucie Nottingham has supported hundreds of charities over the years, mostly in the Cornwall region where she lives, but a love for Malta and a long friendship have also made her one of Din L-Art Ħelwa’s most prolific backers.
Through the Tanner Trust, a family-run charitable trust set up 25 years ago, Ms Nottingham has supported countless projects by organisations in the fields of conservation and preservation, as well as hospice care and several others.
She was drawn to Malta and Din L-Art Ħelwa by her longstanding friendship with the NGO’s former president and current council member Martin Scicluna, and his wife Lorie, whom she first met in university.
“Din L-Art Ħelwa has made a huge difference to Malta,” she told The Sunday Times of Malta. “Their contribution has been vital to the whole attitude of taking an interest in the history and conservation of buildings, which is essential both for Malta’s own pride and future generations but also for tourism.
It’s about keeping things in their context, and changing things sensitively
“And of course, it’s so important to encourage people to visit these sites and to ensure they have a good experience when they do.”
At the Msida Bastion Historic Garden in Floriana, which she visited during a recent stay in Malta, Ms Nottingham has provided funding for a new system which allows water to be drawn directly from nearby cisterns to feed the gardens.
She is unwilling to discuss figures, but since 2000, she has also supported restoration and upgrading projects by Din L-Art Ħelwa at the Argotti Gardens in Floriana and the Our Lady of Victories church in Valletta, as well as purchasing a Land Rover to help park management around the Red Tower in Mellieħa, among other projects.
She has also contributed to the Save Valletta Skyline’s appeal, which aims to restore and protect St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral and its iconic spire.
She stressed that the trust donated only to charities, and only through personal recommendations, choosing good causes that mainly related to the trustees’ personal interests.
“Conservation adds to the beauty and history of the place but also supports its economics and quality of life,” she said when asked what drew her towards these projects.
“It’s about keeping things in their context, and changing things sensitively. I think Din L-Art Ħelwa are so important for that reason.”