Gosport Heritage Open Days wins £4,700 award for access equipment

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) has awarded Gosport Heritage Open Days £4,700 for access equipment to improve the visitor experience.

This will include wearable voice amplifiers for speakers and guides on guided walks.

These proved popular when trialled last year and this funding will ensure all walks, tours, and talks this year will have voice amplifiers.

Other equipment being funded will be Royal National Institute for the Blind PenFriends and sound dots which give an audio description at various points in venues, to assist people with visual impairment and different learning styles.

Access ramps will also make life easier for wheelchair and scooter users and for parents with prams or buggies.

Terry Rhodes, Chair of Gosport Heritage Open Days said: ‘Gosport is renowned for going out of its way to ensure good access to its Open Days for as many of its 60+ events as possible.

‘These new resources to assist visitors at our events together with workshops for our volunteers to improve awareness of access and inclusion, is very welcome.’

This year’s Heritage Open Days festival will include 60 free and unique events at a variety of locations within Gosport, held between September 9 and 18.

The Gosport team encourages individuals or groups to contact them prior to the festival via info@gosportheritage.co.uk or 07531 001003 to discuss how their specific access needs will be best met.