Christchurch and East Dorset Partnership has been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £59,500 to deliver a two-day festival and a series of community heritage projects. The Wimborne History Festival will take place in July 2016, and aims to attract at least 5,000 people with a range of vibrant heritage activities.
When Vespasian marched his Legion into Wimborne around 42 AD, little did he know that over 2000 years later a festival would be organised in his honour. Thanks to the determination of two local Historians to celebrate the momentous Roman occupation of Wimborne, along with other crucial historical periods from Wimborne’s intriguing past, the Wimborne History Festival 2016 has now been launched.
The festival will explore a timeframe from the Bronze Age to the 1960s, accompanied by a variety of engaging projects for the local community. These projects will be coordinated by East Dorset Heritage venues in partnership with a number of local organisations. This exciting programme of events has been planned by local volunteers and supported by the councils’ Community and Recreation department.
Tracy Cooper, Lead Officer at History Festival Consortium, said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery for this full programme of events and we are looking forward to bringing Wimborne’s rich heritage alive for all ages in the community to discover and enjoy. We aim to engage with children from the Wimborne schools in various aspects of the Festival, making history fun through the use of arts and archives to inspire and teach. This Festival has already brought organisations together and we look forward to building even stronger heritage relationships in the town. We would also like to acknowledge the tremendous support we have had from local funders to help match fund this Festival. ”
Nerys Watts, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund South West, said: “Wimborne History Festival is a great project which will share the fascinating heritage of Wimborne through a range of inspiring events. We are particularly keen to support projects in Christchurch and East Dorset, so hope that this project will encourage other groups in the area to think of ways they could celebrate their heritage too!’
