History Gets a Cash Boost

Local historians will be able to dig even deeper into the past thanks to a £1m boost from
Europe.

The money will help to develop the People's History Resource Centre in Grace Hill, Folkestone, the Beaney Museum in Canterbury and the Crypt in Boulogne's old town.

Kent County Council, which supports museums across the county, has also been given a share of the grant to be used for the Folkestone museum projects.

The money comes from the Interreg programme which supports projects that have ‘cross border' benefits. The grant of £1,682,000 was secured by BOSCO+ the Boulogne, Shepway and Canterbury Co-operation Association, which brings together councils on both sides of the channel.

The ‘Treasures Revealed' project will include

• Creating a new museum in the crypt in Boulogne
• Creating new spaces in the three museums for exhibitions and educational use
• Using the latest technology to develop new ways of uncovering history
• Creating education programmes that reveal cultural assets and encouraging more people to get involved in cultural activities
• Exchanges of exhibits between Shepway, Canterbury and Boulogne
• Creating '2000 years of history' centres
• Cross-border promotion of the three museums to boost visitor numbers

The Leader of Shepway Council, Cllr Robert Bliss, said: "This is a fantastic boost for local history and will create new cultural opportunities for local people. It will also help boost visitor numbers. It is the most successful BOSCO+ bid to date."