CELEBRATING THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN 75TH ANNIVERSARY
Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire
Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire (AHL) is a unique partnership of aviation heritage centres, District Councils and Lincolnshire County Council, all working together to promote the County’s unique aviation heritage.
I
t was six years ago that AHL was awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) which included funds to not
only help develop the various sites but also to employ two full time employees over a three year period. Phil Bonner was appointed as the Aviation Development Officer whilst Dave Harrigan was appointed as the Outreach and Learning Officer. Both of them had served in the Royal Air Force for over 37 years so they had a wealth of experience to bring to the project.
During the three year period of HLF funding they were able to help and advise the respective sites with the various collections and displays. As well as promoting the different locations they also assisted with improving the visitor experience such that every venue was able to achieve accreditation with Visit England.
Developing a good educational programme across the Partnership was a key goal for
www.raf-ff.org.uk
Dave. He was able to use the HLF funding to employ an education consultant to draw up lesson packs for each site which linked in with the National Curriculum. These were then made available on the AHL website
www.aviationheritagelincolnshire.com.
The aviation heritage of Lincolnshire stretches from the early days of military aviation in World War One right up to present times. Of the five active RAF Stations in the County, two date back to the days of the Royal Flying Corps whilst two date back to the Royal Naval Air Service, pre-dating the RAF itself. The aviation heritage centres they support and promote are many and varied, ranging from the Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby with Lancaster ‘Just Jane’ and the Battle of Britain Memorial Centre Visitor Centre through to the Ethos and Heritage Centres at RAF Cranwell, Digby, Scampton and Waddington.
So successful was the first three years of the project that Lincolnshire County Council took on the funding of the two full time
posts to reflect the progress that had been made in attracting so many visitors to the County. In addition, the Arts Council for England (ACE) in association with the Department for Education made a grant of £324,000 over a further three year period to attract as many school children to the sites.
This additional grant has enabled AHL to work with schools across Lincolnshire to tell the story of the RAF in Lincolnshire. The project has not just involved organising school visits to the heritage centres. For two years in succession a ‘Wartime Christmas’ programme has been held which included the children having to write letters as though their fathers were away on duty, an experience that has enabled them to connect with the children of RAF families of today. Additionally, visits to Digby, Scampton and Waddington have given children an insight of today’s RAF.
For further information go to www.
aviationheritagelincolnshire.com or e-mail
aviationheritage@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
Envoy Summer 2015 25
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