SOUTH KESTEVEN District Council’s Heritage Lottery-funded project to restore Wyndham Park to its former glory has won in a prestigious awards scheme.
The £1m-plus project has been named Heritage Project of the Year in the Greater Lincolnshire Construction and Property Awards 2019.
With so many layers to the park’s history, it was essential that the project preserved historic features for future generations to enjoy and provided a sustainable opportunity for visitors to learn about the history of the site.
South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) embarked on an ambitious and engaging heritage restoration project to symbolise the dawn of a new era for the World War One memorial park.
Hosted by Homes Under the Hammer star Martin Roberts at Double Tree by Hilton in Lincoln on 5 February, representatives from the council’s main contractor, Woodhead Group, and architect, Hugh Massey, collected the award.
This project was supported with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which contributed £818,000 towards the works, community events and building a body of volunteers who will steward the park to secure its long-term future.
SKDC’s cabinet member for retail and visitor economy, Cllr Nick Robins, said: “The restoration of Wyndham Park was a very significant project and the results of all the hard work that went into it have surpassed expectations.
“All those involved deserve sincere congratulations, and to be among the winners of these prestigious awards is a great achievement.”
A key driver of the scheme was to complete the work in time for the 100-year anniversary of the end of World War One. Men of the Machine Gun Corps would regularly march through the park on their way to training at Belton Park.
Tom Woodhead, director of the Woodhead Group said: “Volunteer and community involvement has been at the heart of the project. As public parks are recreational space provided for the wellbeing and good of the community, engagement and collaboration has been a major success of the project.”
Whilst the construction works are now complete, volunteer support continues to play a vital part in the day to day running of the site and we are very encouraged by the number of new volunteers coming forward to help.
Hugh Massey, of Hugh Massey Architects, said: “Speaking for the whole design team, we have been immensely gratified to work with an enthusiastic client and construction team, bringing back to life and community use existing facilities and introducing a new multi-use park visitor centre where previously there were only run-down buildings.”