By Isle of Wight Observer
Bembridge Fort Trust has been awarded a £10,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, in partnership with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation and Creative Island, as part of the “Past Futures” initiative. An additional £3,200 from philanthropic sources brings the total funding to £13,200.
The grant will support a new research project, Forgotten People, Lost Technologies, which aims to uncover the personal stories and pioneering military innovations linked to Bembridge Fort and its surrounding defences. The project will involve schools, volunteers, local history groups and the wider community through workshops, events and guided tours.
Building on the Trust’s recent work, the initiative will help establish the Fort as a heritage destination after years of restricted access.
Participants will be invited to share memories, documents and photographs relating to Bembridge Fort, Redcliff Battery, Yaverland Battery, Culver Battery, the Old Radio Station (PWSS), and the Yaverland Cold War ROC Bunker.
Trustee Ashley Webb said the project would create a “living archive of East Wight’s military heritage,” while Tim Wander, Project Manager, highlighted the opportunity to explore the Fort’s role in wartime defence and the lives of those who served there.
Chairman David Reeves thanked funders and urged residents to come forward with stories and memorabilia: “Any memories of your relatives’ service matter. Let us make sure these stories are never forgotten.”
Workshops will also teach participants how to restore, colourise and animate old photographs.
