'Dippy-fever' reaches new heights in the North West

Between February and June 2020, Rochdale’s Number One Riverside will be home to one of the world’s most iconic dinosaurs - Dippy, the much-loved diplodocus. The North West will be Dippy’s penultimate destination on a national tour of eight venues, selected by the Natural History Museum. Not surprisingly, the dinosaur’s visit is fuelling excitement across the region, with 'Dippy-fever' reaching new heights earlier this year when the Heritage Lottery Fund pledged its support for an ambitious programme of educational and community activities to boost the project’s success. 

The HLF Heritage Grants team awarded a first-round pass of just over £90,000 to the Rochdale-based charity Link4Life, with a further £159,000 in the pipeline, if a second-round application is submitted successfully. Gifted’s Director, Amy Stevens, is working closely with Link4Life on the submission of the bid and also guiding the fundraising strategy for the £300,000 matched funding element.

‘This is fantastic news for the North West. It promises interactive activities and SEN programmes, alongside school holiday initiatives and an exciting lecture series for adults and sixth formers. What’s more, these activities and additional projects, like the ‘Bees for Biodiversity’ bee corridor campaign, will all be free of charge to visitors at Number One Riverside and the Dippy exhibition at Touchstones Museum and Art Gallery, just down the road.’

If your organisation has a funding challenge or needs expert guidance through the HLF application process, please contact one of our directors at Gifted Philanthropy to arrange an initial, no-obligation discussion.

For more news on Dippy North West and to find out how you can get involved, visit http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/dippy