Member of Parliament for Macclesfield, David Rutley, was in attendance at the world famous Jodrell Bank on 20th May, as the Observatory and Discovery Centre celebrated a major double funding boost.
Jodrell Bank has secured significant support from the Heritage Lottery Fund to the tune of in excess of £12 million, for its “First Light” project. The project aims to conserve and restore the heritage of the Jodrell Bank site and create a spectacular new space in which visitors can engage with and learn about the journey to explore our place in the Universe. Development funding of £784,800 has also been awarded to help the University of Manchester, who run the site, progress their plans to apply for a full grant at a later date.
In addition, following on from the announcement last month that Jodrell Bank will permanently host the international headquarters of the ambitious Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, the Royal Academy for Engineering has also provided funding. This is as part of their Ingenious Awards programme, which will help to engage audiences with the engineering of the SKA. The SKA project is the world’s largest radio telescope project, and Jodrell Bank faced fierce competition from foreign bids to secure the permanent hosting rights for this.
The site has been a centre of excellence for radio astronomy since 1957 and hosts the e-Merlin National Facility and the Lovell Telescope, facilities that continue to produce world-class science. It also hosts the outstanding Discovery Centre, which has done much to increase public awareness of science in the UK with over 140,000 visitors per year, including around 16,000 school children taking part in its high calibre Education Programme.
David has worked closely with Jodrell Bank and the University of Manchester throughout his time as MP for Macclesfield, and actively supported both the funding application to the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the bid for the SKA to be permanently hosted at the site.
Speaking at the funding announcement, David said, “This has been a fantastic few weeks for Jodrell Bank. The announcement today that the site has secured substantial funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and also support for bringing the SKA project to life for visitors, from the Royal Academy of Engineering, is great news.
“As a strong supporter of Jodrell Bank, I know how valuable and appreciated it is, not just in Macclesfield, but across the wider region. These are exciting times, and I congratulate everyone who has worked so hard to achieve this terrific result.”