Nothe Fort’s team of volunteers and staff has just been given two reasons to celebrate. On Thursday 4 February, Nothe Fort won the ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’ category in the Dorset Tourism Awards. This comes on top of Dorset Council awarding Nothe Fort its top tier revenue grant, the first time the heritage attraction has been included in Dorset Council’s or any predecessor local authorities’ grant schemes.
Nothe Fort’s entry for the Dorset Tourism Award highlighted how its team had responded to the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the attraction could open to the public in a safe way. Its submission to Dorset Council detailed how Nothe Fort would use a revenue grant to develop its museum displays, enhance its schools programme and support heritage initiatives across the area. The Dorset Council grant is paid at £20,000 per year – the maximum amount any recipient received – for the next three years.
Nothe Fort Chairman, James Farquharson, was delighted with both pieces of news: “We are so proud to have won the Gold Award for ‘Small Visitor Attraction’ at the Dorset Tourism Awards. I would like to acknowledge the generations of local volunteers whose hard work over the last 40 years provided the strong foundation we needed to survive, as well as our current team of staff and volunteers, who put in place new ways of working very quickly so that we could open safely.
The Dorset Council revenue grant will help us develop the museum to deliver even greater success in the future. It is a vote of confidence in Nothe Fort and Weymouth to be a big part of Dorset’s economic renewal coming out of the pandemic.”
Dorset Council’s new revenue grant awards scheme replace all historic funding schemes to cultural organisations that were awarded by former district councils.
Cllr Jill Haynes, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services, said, “I’m delighted Dorset Council is able to offer support to the county’s cultural and community organisations, despite pressure on our budgets, as we know they play such a key part in the health, wellbeing and learning of so many people.”
Following a successful crowdfunding appeal, Nothe Fort adapted its facilities top open in a Covid-safe way in July 2020. Its easy to manage, Covid-safe open-air spaces enabled the Note Fort to host a wide range events for Weymouth that would otherwise not have gone ahead. These included Pirates of the Pavilion, Dorset Food & Drink food markets and civic ceremonies, such as VJ Day and the Remembrance Service for Weymouth Town Council.
During the year, Nothe Fort safely welcomed 33,500 visitors, who collectively contributed £1,143,147 to the local economy.
Nothe Fort aerial view
Pirates of the Pavillion, August 2020. Copyright Finnbarr Webster
