Renewable energy is mill’s secret of success

Supported by hydroelectricity -100kW Kaplan turbine provides electricity and the sale of this provides a core income for the charity - the forward-thinking organisation works with local communities to create workshops for skills sharing and volunteering for all ages and abilities. The Mill Hoppers Youth Group is extremely popular and meets regularly with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based activities, crafts, bread making and others related to the industrial history site. Familiar figure of television, Ruth Goodman, she of BBC2’s Victorian Farm fame, is a big fan of the mill and is its patron.

The Heron site is becoming fully sustainable through renewable energy and future-proofed through volunteer training in heritage skills. There are many opportunities to be part of the amazing heritage site. Volunteers are more than welcome to go along and improve their skills and knowledge.

At present, the mill’s creative projects manager, Audrey Steeley, and the team are celebrating after landing a National Lottery grant of £52,500 for its forthcoming heritage project, 1220-2020 (800 Years of Milling). The project focuses on the medieval origins of the mill, and through creating an inclusive programme of creative works to 2020, it will celebrate 800 years of milling documented at the site.

Supported through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the exciting project will enable not only the established groups at the mill, such as the youth group, elderly people’s craft group, sewing groups, community baking groups, to explore and discover the mill’s medieval past through growing and processing flax, baking bread and using Minecraft, but will also encourage day visitors to get involved, in particular, National Lottery players who will be invited to bake medieval-style with the Bread of Heron group, and get involved with the growing and processing of flax to create linen, with textile artist Stella Adams-Schofield.

Telephone 015395-64271.