Notts Church History to receive more than £1/3 million from Heritage Lottery Fund

An ambitious and innovative education and tourism project to bring church history alive across Nottinghamshire has been awarded more than £350,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The special project, setup by the Care of Churches Department for the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham in partnership with others including Nottingham University, is to receive £382,000 which will cover half the cost of the total scheme.

Director of Care of Churches, Stephen Langford said: “This is fantastic news for us and means we take this innovative project forward. It means the rich heritage and history of our churches can be recorded and shared with both children and adults. Their funding will enable us to provide training for the many volunteers who are helping with essential research, and to provide up-to-date resources and educational materials for schools and churches.”

The project will culminate in high quality historical information on all churches in the Diocese, new tourism materials, and educational resources for school visits to churches. Nick Harding, Children’s Ministry Adviser and chair of the Action Group which oversees the project, said ‘We are looking forward to appointing and working with a Project Manager to see this through over the next five years. The end result will be that churches and their fascinating histories will be more accessible to all people of all ages and all levels of interest.’

The Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd George Cassidy said: “Many of our historic churches continue to attract visitors from all around the world and I am delighted that this new funding will enable the project to move to another level and offer resources to help children, visitors and worshippers alike discover some of the hidden gems in our local churches.’

The likely outcomes include:

·        A website with fully researched histories of every church in the Diocese

·        New tourism leaflets and historical information in every church

·        Tourism trails for visitors to the area

·        Educational materials linked to local churches

·        Resources and training to enhance school visits to church buildings

Ends

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage.  HLF has supported more than 26,000 projects, allocating over £4billion across the UK, including over £211million to the East Midlands alone.

Website: www.hlf.org.uk