A piece of good news is rare in the current financial climate, but in East Devon, Sidmouth Town Council have come up with the goods. Part of their recent decision to invest in refurbishing their seafront Sidmouth shelters is to provide some excellent new Jurassic Coast interpretation facilities.
The shelters have been made into two closed units, one of which is a recently-opened youth cafe, and the other, currently empty, has some stylish ammonite designs on the glass in anticipation of its future function. In addition to their initial investment into the fabric of the building, the Town Council have recently been awarded £15,000 from the Keith Owen fund and a further sum of money from the Fine Family Foundation in order to bring the vacant shelter to life.
This funding will enable the Council to appoint an interpretation designer and to fit out the facility with some fantastic graphics and touch-tables about the Jurassic Coast and other local natural features. Once complete, the building will be overseen by the Town Council, in collaboration with the Sidmouth Museum, and can be used for small events, meeting points and just to drop in and find out more about the area. It is hoped that the shelter will open in May 2011.
Sam Rose, Jurassic Coast Team Leader
