Virtual history tour to help fund forest school
FUNDRAISING BID BY ORGANISATION BEHIND ONE OF BURTON’S ARCHITECTURAL GEMS
A VIRTUAL history tour of Burton is to premiere next month to help set up a school at one of the town’s architectural gems.
The 15th century Grade Ii-listed Sinai Park House, off Shobnall Road, was once a respite for monks and home of the famous Paget family but is now crumbling after years of neglect.
Work has already started on restoring the building to its former glory after planning approval was given to create outdoor classrooms and repair its outdoor plunge pool, which is said to have healing waters.
Sinai Park House Trust, a notfor-profit organisation set up to protect the building’s future. has launched a Crowdfunder campaign to contribute resources for its new forest school, which opens this summer.
The campaign runs until May 1, when it culminates with the premiere of the trust’s 1,000 Year Walk, a virtual history tour of Burton.
The 1,000 Year Walk would normally have run physically through Burton and the ancient woodlands of the National Forest.
Owing to the pandemic, it has been cre- ated as a virtual experi- ence, with proceeds from the premiere going towards the Forest School Crowdfunder.
The walk features local landscape architect Howard Price and head of the Burton Conservation Volunteers, Lawrence Oates, and explores the links between Sinai Park House and Burton Abbey, the most important religious house in the Midlands in medieval and Tudor times until dissolved by Henry VIII.
Laura Wigg-bailey, project manager at Sinai Park House Trust, said: “We want the community to know how committed we are to our outdoor learning programme and are determined to make this project a real community enterprise.
“So far, we have received considerable support for the Sinai Forest School from parents and teachers, and we believe this can make a real difference to the lives of local children.”
As part of the fundraising, the trust is offering rewards to incentivise donations, ranging from £5, which gifts donors a Sinai fact sheet and art print, £10 for free tickets for the virtual tour premiere and £20 for a guided tour and cream teas for two at Sinai, once lockdown restrictions permit.
Larger donations of £100 and above will gain free tours for larger groups. As lockdown restrictions ease, the trust hopes to resume onsite tours and other events and activities.
The event on May 1 will include live contributions from the walk creators who can take questions via Zoom. For more information about Sinai Forest Schools, the 1000 Year Walk or to become a friend of Sinai Park House, email laura@sinaiparkhouse.co.uk or visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ sinai-forest-school
We believe the forest school can make a real difference to the lives of local children.
Laura Wigg-bailey