AN ARTS group which has saved an historic building has been nominated for a St George’s Day Award.

The Greyladyes Arts Foundation have spent more than a decade preserving the Grade II listed Greyladyes Chapel in Old Bursledon.

They also promote art throughout Southampton and have now been nominated for an award thanks to their hard work.

The Daily Echo has launched the Southampton St George’s Day Festival and Daily Echo Community Awards, which celebrate the people who improve the Southampton City region, and now the group have been nominated for an award in the Putting the Southampton City Region on the Map category.

Susan Osmond, a trustee and the group’s event organiser, said: “To be nominated is a great privilege, we are an independent charity and it is an up hill task keeping us going and this will give us lots of encouragement.

“It is such a lovely group of volunteers and they all try so very hard and what we are doing comes from our hearts.

“It has been worth persevering because of the pleasure people gain from the concerts and exhibitions we put on.”

Since starting the Greyladyes Arts Foundation has been working to repair the chapel in School Road and have dramatically improved the building since they first bought it in 2005.

Mrs Osmond, 71, said: “The building was in quite a poor condition when we purchased it and it was problematic, there was a lot of damp, cold, there was hardly any heating and the facilities were not good.”

Now the group is focussing on promoting the arts and getting all residents from the local community involved whether it be through performances, exhibitions, talks, workshops or classes.

Mrs Osmond, who is from Old Bursledon, added: “Generally arts funding has dried up and I think it is really important to promote it, a country without art is bereft and art gives so much pleasure to people.

“People are artistic, even if they claim not to be, we all like music and looking at pleasurable things, art is part of being human and anything we can do to give that to people and get them involved is important.”

The winners of the St George’s Day Awards will be announced at the St George’s Day Festival on the day itself, April 23.

The festival is taking place at The 1865 in Brunswick Square, Southampton.

For more information go to bit.ly/1ScFaVT