Heritage Lottery Fund awards £6,300 to Fairlynch Museum for a project to mark the First World War Centenary

  

L-r: Volunteers from Fairlynch Local History Group, Sheila Jelley, Margaret Brett and John Hedderly are intrigued by publications from the World War One era which will be on display in the Museum’s forthcoming exhibition

26 February 2014: The following press release was issued by Fairlynch Museum

Today, Fairlynch Museum, Budleigh Salterton, has received £6,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for their project ‘Budleigh Salterton and Lower Otter Valley First World War Heritage’ in East Devon. Awarded through HLF’s ‘First World War: then and now programme’, the project will focus on documenting the impact of the First World War on the lives of people living in Budleigh Salterton and the Lower Otter Valley.

Marking the centenary of the First World War, the project will enable local people in Budleigh Salterton and the Lower Otter Valley to come together to preserve the memories and heritage of the people who lived through the 1914-18 period.

Volunteers will collect objects, photographs, newspaper clippings, documents, letters and photos of keepsakes, as well as family tales passed down, to help them build a clear picture of what life was really like.

The information gathered will be exhibited in Fairlynch Museum, digitally recorded, and an on-line archive will be created where everyone can access and contribute information.

Commenting on the award, Roger Sherriff, Chairman of the Fairlynch Museum Trustees, said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund for this project and will be working with schools and community groups to mark this important centenary in this area.”

Explaining the importance of the Fund’s support, the head of the HLF in the South West, Nerys Watts, said: “The impact of the First World War was far reaching, touching and shaping every corner of the UK and beyond. The Heritage Lottery Fund has already invested more than £46 m in projects – large and small – that are marking this global centenary; with our new small grants programme, we are enabling even more communities like those involved in Budleigh Salterton and the Lower Otter Valley to explore the continuing legacy of this conflict and help local young people in particular to broaden their understanding of how it has shaped our modern world.”


‘The Great War at Fairlynch’ 2015 exhibition at Budleigh Salterton’s very special museum! Reviews included: “Wonderful display on WW1, informative, bright and relevant. Well done!! 

 

Fairlynch re-opens on Sunday 6 April 2014.  Admission is free.