The Hoo Peninsula is set to benefit from nearly £3million of national funding to celebrate its unique heritage and habitats.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has confirmed £2,943,041 has been allocated to The Whose Hoo project, to drive forward landscape-scale heritage conservation on the Hoo Peninsula.
Aiming to help residents discover and celebrate the heritage and habitats of the Hoo Peninsula, the project is led by Medway Council, but brings together a wide range of partners, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Kent County Council, Gravesham Borough Council, Slough Fort Preservation Trust, Medway Swale Estuary Partnership (MSEP), wHoo Cares, Homes England, LV21 and the North West Kent Countryside Partnership (NWKCP).
Initial development funding of £260,000 was awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2023 to help create an integrated programme of heritage schemes and events with a view to progress plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant early this spring. Following the successful application for full funding, the Whose Hoo programme will run over a four-year period to 2029.
The funding will be used to support 15 projects across four themes: Habitats, Heritage, Connection and Discovery - aiming to support a change in the way local communities understand and connect with their natural and cultural heritage.
The conservation work in Hoo will include planting disease resistant elm trees and hedgerows to increase biodiversity. The heritage works will focus on restoring existing sites and telling the stories of the Hoo Peninsula, with volunteers invited to help study remains, improve surroundings and deliver heritage-themed events for local people.
Slough Fort`s main barrack building will also be restored and improved with new visitor facilities and displays to tell its stories. Other initiatives include educational activities for schools, focusing on the impact of climate change on the estuary, while a dipping platform on the Medway Canal will be used for school trips, heritage events, and conservation work. Audio-recorded walks and an annual heritage festival are among other activities planned under the project.
While some Whose Hoo projects have clear environmental or heritage conservation objectives, there is an overarching focus on community activities, interpretation and learning, which has been developed to unlock the social and economic potential of this area.
Whose Hoo is one of 15 projects across the UK to receive part of a pot of £30 million under the new allocation from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is being shared to mark the organisation’s 30th anniversary.
Cllr Simon Curry, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Strategic Regeneration, said: “This new funding is great news for everyone involved in the Whose Hoo project, which is doing brilliant work to protect natural habitats and improve biodiversity in the area, while celebrating Hoo’s rich heritage. I’d like to thank those behind the National Lottery Heritage Fund and all the lottery players who have made this possible, as well as all those who have worked to make the Whose Hoo project a worthy recipient of this new funding.”
Since The National Lottery Heritage Fund was set up in 1994, £8.6bn has been invested in over 47,000 projects across the UK, and the organisation will invest a further £3.6bn over the next 10 years.
To find out more about Whose Hoo visit WhoseHoo.org.uk.