- National Lottery Grant awarded - New skills developed
The 2874 Trust, based at Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, has announced a £151,200 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The grant is to both develop the engineering skills of existing volunteers and attract and train a new generation to help secure heritage skills for the future.
The National Lottery-funded project will enable volunteers to develop their existing skills with activity on the Trust’s 1918-built Great Western Railway steam locomotive, no. 2874, as the training platform. A variety of work projects will concentrate on teaching and developing the skills particularly required for boiler restoration and so help ensure the preservation of this vital pool of knowledge.
The engineering skills needed to repair, maintain and operate historic steam locomotives are increasingly rare. Without this funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, such skills could be lost and the viability of the living museums that are heritage railways, such as the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, consequently put at risk.
A programme of activities will showcase, through displays and exhibitions, the work of the Trust’s existing volunteer workforce to a wide audience and encourage a new generation to become involved. There will be a range of events tailored to suit different age groups designed to interest and inspire the volunteers of the future. The project will enable the Trust to reach out to groups of young people who have, perhaps, never had the opportunity to witness “heritage in action” and, hopefully, stimulate their further involvement.
With the expertise gained by the voluntary workforce, the resilience of the whole sector will be enhanced.
The Trust’s website at www.2874trust.org will contain regular updates on progress and will advertise all the dates and venues for its display stands.
David Foster, Chairman of The 2874 Trust said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we will help to preserve the skills necessary to keep historic steam locomotives working so that future generations can enjoy the sight and sound of our industrial heritage”
