OUR HEROES
Team work Katie Chown helps us celebrate the amazing community engagement and contribution made by affiliate volunteer group, Landguard Fort Trust.
T
he Landguard Fort Trust has been and was updated in Victorian times. It a partner of English Heritage for was manned through both World Wars more than twenty years and they and, in 1951, part of it was converted joined the Affiliate Volunteer Scheme into a ‘Cold War’ control room. The fort four years ago. This scheme was created was disarmed and closed in 1956. to help us support and recognise local partner organisations who care for The amazing contribution English Heritage sites on our behalf. In the year to March 2020 the fort There are 22 organisations currently volunteers contributed an incredible signed up to the scheme. 13,314 volunteer hours, roughly the The fort is managed by Landguard equivalent of eight full-time employees. They provided visitor operations Fort Trust, a charity – welcoming visitors, running the with one full-time What the tearoom and shop, guided tours and one part-time volunteers and events, cleaning, managing member of staff, and health and safety, marketing, an active volunteer achieve, and fundraising, organising archives, force of about 65. The the time and book keeping and providing fort is usually open a financial overview. They also daily from April to commitment reduce costs by carrying out October, and has over routine maintenance that 25,000 visitors annually they give, is in more normal times. otherwise would need to be simply amazing done by contractors. The site’s significance The fort defended the approach to Community engagement Harwich Harbour, Suffolk, and it is English Heritage is committed to placing our sites at the heart of local the site of the last opposed seaborne communities. Access to this fascinating invasion of England, when the Royal site wouldn’t be possible without the Marines, in their first land battle, large volunteer effort. The fort’s general repulsed a Dutch attack in 1667. The current fort dates from the 18th century manager, Nicola Barker, is bowled over by PLAN YOUR VISIT Landguard Fort is open to the public from April to October. For more information visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/landguard-fort
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the community’s commitment to opening the fort and the pride the volunteers take in their role. She says, ‘What the volunteers achieve, and the time and commitment they give is simply amazing. Without them Landguard Fort wouldn’t function.’ And the volunteers enjoy it too: ‘I feel that we’re a part of the history of the fort by looking after it, keeping important history alive for future generations. Plus I love working with wonderful people having a great laugh. It’s just an amazing place to be.’ ■
