Coast and rivers project clears first funding hurdle

Coast and rivers project clears first funding hurdle

21 November 2012

PLANS for a £250,000 rivers and coast project in County Down have cleared the first funding hurdle.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has given preliminary approval for the project which will be delivered by Down Council, three other councils, the Mourne Heritage Trust, NI Environment Agency and National Trust.

The project will explore the heritage of communities living along the rivers and coast of Down trawling through a rich local history, including archaeological sites, mills, harbours and resorts.

It aims to develop heritage skills among local people which can be used to assist in the long term sustainable protection and interpretation of sites and collections in the community.

The project will deliver a number of linked smaller projects which enable groups to carry out local research and fieldwork and produce a range of interpretative resources focused on their heritage.

A community heritage training programme will also be developed and will include training in running reminiscence sessions, filming and oral history gathering, community archaeology and fieldwalking.

One of the innovative elements of the project will be the creation of a Down Heritage Network which brings together representatives from community and cultural groups and the museum and heritage sector to share their expertise and jointly undertake the production of resources and education programmes focused on the heritage of the local areas.

The project has received a first-round pass which means the project meets HLF’s criteria for funding and has the potential to deliver high quality benefits and value for Lottery money.

The project partners, in consultation with participating community groups, now have up to two years to submit fully developed proposals for the full grant.

The head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland, Paul Mullan, said: “We are delighted to give initial support to this project. This is a fantastic project idea that covers a breadth of heritage themes and that will see experts from a variety of different organisations working with local communities to explore the various heritage themes. This will also benefit those communities through their acquisition of heritage skills.”

Groups wanting to learn more about the project and wishing to join the Down Heritage Network should contact Linda McKenna, education officer at Down County Museum.