Council providing further support to Heugh Battery Museum

Published Wednesday, 15th May 2019

Hartlepool Borough Council is delighted to be providing support to a campaign helping save a vital piece of the town’s history.

It comes as the Council has announced plans to provide free transport for people taking part in Sunday’s fundraising walk from Seaham’s Tommy statue to a Tommy silhouette at the Heugh Battery Museum.

It’s around 20 years since the battery was brought back to life by volunteers as a living museum allowing people to stand in the exact place where soldiers fired on German warships that shelled the town early during the First World War.

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Called Tommy2Tommy, the event on Sunday, will see those signing up being give a name tag and walking the 16 mile route in memory of that person.

Hartlepool Borough Council is providing three free buses so walkers can be transported to Seaham, before walking back to the Heugh Battery Museum.

Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher, the Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “The Heugh Battery Museum has the distinction of being the only World War One battlefield in the UK and is something we need to ensure is available for future generations to experience so we are delighted to be offering free transport to the Tommy2Tommy walkers.

“Hartlepool Borough Council has supported the museum on a number of occasions and in 2012 we helped the site secure small business rate relief, saving them around £16,000 over the past eight years. In addition to this, we have also provided direct funding of around £16,000.

“We are also working closely with the museum to help it develop a business plan and to consider ways in which it might be able to attract external funding in order to maximise its full potential.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the Heugh Battery Museum Appeal should visit www.justgiving.com

Cheques can also be made out to The Heugh Gun Battery Trust Ltd.

Community champion Stephen Picton who is organising this weekend’s sponsored walk said: “We are very grateful Hartlepool Borough Council is choosing to support the Tommy2Tommy event in this way.

“I have said before that it is crucial our history is preserved so that children for many generations experience this unique site and it is absolutely fantastic the Council is playing its part.”