He joined HLF’s Chair Sir Peter Luff and South West Committee Chair Stephen Boyce at The Tank Museum and at Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Great Heath landscape.

Work begins at Tank Museum

First stop was the Tank Museum, which has benefitted from £14million of National Lottery funding over the past decade.

[quote= John Glen, Heritage Minister] "It has been fantastic to see how National Lottery funding is supporting important projects in the region that protect and conserve our natural and cultural heritage.” [/quote]

The visit coincided with the official launch of its most recent project. Supported by a £2m grant, the museum will build a new conservation workshop, train the next generation of conservators and make its fascinating collections accessible for brand new audiences.

The group also met some of the workshop staff, volunteers and apprentices and saw some of the historic vehicles in action.

Future champions of natural heritage

Next up was a scenic tour of the landscapes being transformed as part of Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Great Heath Living Landscapes scheme, made possible by a £2.7m National Lottery grant.

Spanning 1,500 acres of wildlife rich heathland, grassland, woods and wetland, the project is protecting natural heritage and benefitting people and wildlife in Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch and East Dorset.

Natural heritage trainees were also on hand to talk about their experiences of Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Skills for the Future scheme. A further £351,000 of National Lottery funding is equipping people with the skills and inspiration to protect the area’s stunning natural world for future generations to enjoy.

Celebrating the South West

Heritage Minister John Glen said of the visit: “With its stunning coastlines, national parks and historic sites, the South West is a wonderful place to visit. It has been fantastic to see how National Lottery funding is supporting important projects in the region that protect and conserve our natural and cultural heritage.”

More than £696m of money raised by National Lottery players has been invested into projects protecting and sharing heritage in the South West.