Canal trust celebration New heritage centre is opened

People News

Chichester Ship Canal Trust unveiled its newly-refurbished heritage centre on Saturday. Mayor of Chichester, cllr Richard Plowman is pictured here cutting the ribbon to the new centre, with other guests and canal volunteers. Prosecco and cake were served to mark the successful revamp. The centre, which documents almost200 years of the canal’s history, has been fitted out with modern, interactive displays and is open to the public until November.

A newly refurbished heritage centre for Chichester Canal has been ‘built by the community for the community’.

Those were the words of canal trustee Sue Dixon at the official reopening of the centre at the canal basin on Saturday.

Dignitaries there to celebrate the long-awaited opening day included mayor of Chichester councillor Richard Plowman, the chairmen of both the county and district councils and BID chairman Colin Hicks.

Canal volunteers and members enjoyed Prosecco and cake as Catherine Cannon, joint vice-chairman of the Chichester Ship Canal Trust, thanked those who had made the refurbishment possible.

She highlighted the centre’s importance as a record of the almost 200-year history of Chichester Canal and praised the new interactive and flexible displays .

Aspects of the construction were undertaken by Building Heroes, an organisation that gives ex-service personnel the opportunity to learn new skills for future career changes.

Local artist Jazmine Saunders also worked closely with canal volunteers to create a colourful mural depicting canal wildlife. Sue Dixon and Roger Thomson, trustees, and Moira Cooper, archivist, right, looking at one of the displays Photos by Kate Shemilt Catherine Cannon, trustee, and Mark White, who made the video archive, looking at one of the displays