England’s oldest working theatre has been donated a substantial amount of money to ensure its restoration is completed.

The St George’s Guildhall Charity in Lynn has received a substantial donation of €1million from the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung (Foundation). The donation will be used to restore the St George’s Guildhall building.

The Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung is based in Lynn’s fellow Hanseatic location of Hamburg and supports charitable, cultural and social projects.

Following its support for the renovation of Shropshire’s Iron Bridge and the Warburg Institute in London, the Guildhall restoration is the Foundation’s third major project in England.

Bernhard Reemtsma, chairman of the board of the Hermann Reemtsma Siftung, said: “We are delighted that our foundation is able to carry out charitable work in the place where my father, myself and, more recently, the Foundation have been active in agriculture for many years.

“My father, Hinrich Reemtsma, came to Lynn in the late 1980s, when he also established his foundation. He was a committed farmer and loved the unique landscape of Norfolk and Lynn.

“He was very attracted to the fertile soil and the wonderful, long tradition of good agriculture. We have now been here for almost forty years and feel very connected to the region.”

Baroness Natalie Evans of Bowes Park, chair of the Guildhall Charity, said: “This is the first major donation to the St George’s Guildhall and Creative Hub CIO. We are extremely grateful to the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung for their generous support of this important project.

“It will ensure the restoration of England’s oldest working theatre and create a vibrant cultural hub for West Norfolk and beyond.”

The creative director of the Guildhall site, Tim FitzHigham, has been to Hamburg to meet the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, to see some of the projects that they have funded in Germany and to address the arts society of Hamburg about the Guildhall project.

He said: “I have seen first-hand the commitment of the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung to historic buildings in Germany and in Britain.

“Their approach and passion as people, and for the projects they support, are impressive. They have done a great thing for the Guildhall.”