Morecambe Bay Partnership wins £2million Heritage Lottery Grant

Morecambe Bay Partnership wins Heritage Lottery Fund support

1 August 2011

Morecambe Bay Partnership has received an earmarked first-round pass of £2 million pounds from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) through its Landscape Partnership programme for the Headlands to Headspace project. This includes a development fund grant of £100,000 to help the Partnership progress their plans over the next couple years. A first round pass means that the money has been set aside by the Heritage Lottery Fund for our scheme and we shall submit a further, second stage application to secure the full award.

The Headlands to Headspace project aims to make the Bay better appreciated and inspire and engage local people in looking after its special and distinctive features.

Projects are proposed to

· celebrate the Bay’s unique cultural heritage and stunning landscapes

· support local people to restore and reconnect wildlife habitats, protect the tidal islands and study birds and seals

· develop the railway stations as hubs to access key sites

· support education projects and oral history looking at the traditions of fishing in the Bay

· support joint work between Lancaster Maritime and Barrow Dock Museums and

· community training in archaeology, surveying, safeguarding monuments and habitats.

Susannah Bleakley who co-ordinated the bid said:

“We are delighted, this is great news for Morecambe Bay and the many people who have supported our work on the bid. It is very encouraging; very heartening to have this level of support from the Lottery, and it should help us to make more of Morecambe Bay.

As the project develops, we want local people to learn about how special Morecambe Bay really is, to share our excitement and get involved in projects to look after the Bay. We really hope that the significance of the Bay will be much better appreciated as we develop these projects over the coming years.”

Captain Graham Maclean, chair of Morecambe Bay Partnership and formerly the General Manger of Heysham Port said:

“This is an important achievement for the Morecambe Bay Partnership, because it demonstrates that partnership working around the Bay can attract investment and funding. Now, we need to ensure is that this is first of many successes allowing us to make more good things happen - so the Bay is recognised as the unique natural and cultural asset it is. Sadly the Bay is sometimes marginalised and fragmented by the county boundary, but this project shows the power of the Bay as a unifying force that can drive positive changes for our communities.”

Susannah Bleakley, Morecambe Bay Partnership Officer, said "Bringing everyone together and keeping this moving in the right direction was enormously rewarding and yes, it is brilliant news - the heritage lottery fund say that it was more competitive than ever this year."

Ken Howarth www.heritagephotoarchive.co.uk
(Flookburgh)

Sara Hilton, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North West, said:

"We are delighted to be able to award this first-round pass to the Morecambe Bay Partnership. At the Heritage Lottery Fund we look to support bold, innovative projects such as this, which offer real potential to make a difference to people's lives. This imaginative scheme will draw together the threads of proud cultural histories and precious natural heritage that permeate Morecambe Bay, aiming to create a future where local communities are directly involved in conservation activities whilst new opportunities are created for visitors from near and far to explore, enjoy and learn about this fascinating landscape.”

Update # 2 (December 2010) is available online here and outlines the project proposals.

Anyone who wishes to learn more or discuss the proposal is encouraged to speak with Susannah on 01539 735900, or enter your contacts here to register for updates.

you can join the H2H facebook group (or search for Headlands to Headspace in fb).

Timescales:

The development work shall run in 2011 & 2012 with a 5 year delivery phase starting around 2013. If successful it could bring wide-ranging community and heritage benefits around the Bay.

Morecambe Bay's Outstanding heritage

Morecambe Bay is of exceptional heritage importance. It is the largest intertidal area in the UK where four estuaries join in a horseshoe-shaped Bay of spectacular scale and grandeur. It is a unique and awe-inspiring place, a kaleidoscope of water and light; sea and sky; sound, texture and colour. The Bay itself is flanked by a diverse coastal mosaic of headlands, tidal islands, cliffs, shingle, saltmarsh, wetlands and mosses. These surrounding landscapes reveal a narrative of man's work, shaping the land and tied to the coastline from one millennium to the next.

The Bay is internationally significant for wildlife, one of the UK’s most important biodiversity hotspots, supporting exceptional populations of birds, flora and invertebrates. It has tremendous cultural richness and is nationally important for its maritime and First and Second World War heritage, rich archaeology and concentration of ritual and religious sites. And it is highly valued by our coastal communities who look towards one another across the Bay.

Landscape Partnership Schemes:

The Heritage Lottery Fund Landscape Partnership Scheme encourages the development of a portfolio of sub-projects against four themes. They require large scale collaboration, to deliver a range of projects for lasting community and heritage benefit across important landscapes that are recognised and valued by local communities.