Season’s Greetings!

We’d like to wish everyone a very  Happy New Year from the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site!

2018 Highlights

It has been an extremely busy year for the team here, and across the World Heritage Site. We have started delivery of the Great Place Scheme, which has included the continuation of Business Ambassador Training in Darley Abbey and Belper. For our fabulous volunteers we have held a training tour of the whole site and a special celebration and best practice sharing event to Fountains Abbey. A new artistic programme has started in the form of pop music at Discovery Days this year – look out for more in 2019.

The annual Discovery Days Festival was fantastic, with lots of new visitors. Thank you to all the groups, organisations and volunteers who worked so hard to put on a wonderful variety of talks, events and other activities many of which were brand new.

We have also started the process of developing a new Management Plan to comply with our World Heritage Site responsibilities to Government. We held engagement workshops in our communities, and would like to say ‘Thank You’ to everyone who made their contribution. A summary report will be available in the New Year on this website.

Looking forward to 2019

We’ve got a packed year ahead:

• Why not try something new with creative courses and talks inspired by the World Heritage Site being held at Strutts Centre, Belper? To book contact 01629 533090.
• Look out for more Pop Up Arts events as part of our arts programme.
• We’re working hard to inspire teachers with two Learning Tours taking place on 8th March for Key Stage 1 and 2 teachers and 13th March for Key Stage 3 and 4 and post-16 teachers. If you know teachers who may be interested please ask them to contact us on 01629 533439.
• There’ll be an opportunity to have your say when the new Management Plan goes out to consultation in the summer.
• We will continue  the successful Ambassadors programme for visitor-facing businesses across the World Heritage Site, extending out from Belper to Milford and Cromford.
• There will be more training tours for volunteers across the World Heritage Site.
• The Discovery Days Festival will return in October 2019 during the half term holidays.

Do keep an eye on all the amazing events and activities being offered by the sites and attractions along the World Heritage Site too!

Best wishes for 2019!

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