The Dreamland Trust has been granted £99,600 of lottery cash for a new series of projects to interpret the history and heritage of Dreamland.
This project will form part of the 100th anniversary celebration of Dreamland in 2020 and coincides with the 10th year of the Dreamland Trust, established in 2009 in the bid to save the amusement park and get it reopened to the public.
The grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund will help the Dreamland Trust employ a development manager and an archivist. The development manager will be working with volunteers, schools, colleges and community organisations to share the history and enjoyment of Dreamland and to develop projects to interpret and reuse heritage rides.
The archivist will work on cataloguing the Trust’s archive to make it accessible online and to bring a new and fun dimension to its interpretation.
Bernie Morgan, Chair of the Dreamland Trust, said: “As we reach our tenth anniversary, we are looking to the future and working on innovative and fun ways to interpret our archive and other heritage assets, bringing them to life.
“We believe heritage is not something that is just in the past. It is about what is happening now and how that might be interpreted in the future. This grant will set us on our way to bringing Dreamland’s heritage to life and to making new collections for the future. This grant will support our work and it heralds a new era for the Trust.’
The grant has been made possible by money raised by National Lottery players and Sands Heritage Limited is also contributing.
Eddie Kemsley, Chief Executive of Sands Heritage Limited, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for Dreamland, as we near our centenary year. The Trust has done an outstanding job of celebrating the park’s rich heritage with the world over the past ten years, and we look forward to helping them share our story with new generations of Dreamers for years to come.”
The Dreamland Trust was established in 2009 following a successful campaign to save Dreamland from re-development. The Trust is committed to preserving and protecting the rich history of Dreamland and Margate through learning, school activities, volunteering and interpretation opportunities and community engagement.
Cllr Bob Bayford, Leader of Thanet District Council, said: “For coming up to ten years, The Dreamland Trust has worked tirelessly to protect and promote Dreamland’s heritage. This successful bid, which we were delighted to support, will ensure this legacy continues and will help bring history to life for a modern audience.”
To find out more about the Dreamland Trust and future events visit www.dreamlandtrust.org.uk
