Changes

In June 2017 the Trust secured £71,800 of HLF financial backing to develop a bid seeking £927,000 from the HLF for a large part of the quoted £1.324 million total project cost. The SVR met the challenge of raising matched funding of £397,000 (originally £275,000) for which the Trust co-ordinated effortsthrough a campaign entitled "'''Helping hands for Falling Sands'''". Preliminary structual structural investigations in Summer 2018 had revealed two gas mains, one live, which increased the cost and SVR's contribution.

The Trust submitted its bid on 26 October 2018 and on 25 March 2019 announced the award of a further £853,800 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund which together with the earlier grant took the total amount of its funding to £925,600. The grant, along with other funds raised, will be used to restore Falling Sands Viaduct and to launch an exciting programme of community engagement and exhibitions that will explore the Railway’s early history. In August 2019 the Trust unveiled a large donation wall at [[The Engine House]] acknowledging the individuals, organisations and businesses who had donated to the "Helping Hands for Falling Sands" appeal. Repair work will is planned to commence in January 2020 and will be fully completed by the autumn.<ref>[https://www.svr.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?a=875 SVR website]</ref> Previous announcements suggest the SVR would intend to undertake this urgent project in two stages, with the first stage to April 2020 necessitating closure of the railway between Bewdley and Kidderminster from the end of [[Christmas services]] until Easter. Subsequent works will involve replacing damaged brickwork and corbelling, and repointing throughout.<ref>[http://svrtrust.org.uk/our-projects/falling-sands-viaduct.html 'Falling Sands Viaduct', Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust website] (Retrieved 20 November 2018)</ref><ref>Shareholders' Newsletter, undated</ref><ref>SVR News 203, 204</ref><ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/epnovember18 Express Points November 2018]</ref>