Plans have been unveiled
for a North-East helicopter museum combined with a ground-breaking
venture in the rehabilitation of disabled former armed forces personnel.
The
proposals, revealed at community consultation event at the Shotton
community Centre, in Shotton Colliery, in east Durham, today (Monday,
October 21) is the brainchild of retired Army Air Corps engineer Duncan
Moyse.
The building envisaged at the Shotton Airfield, next to
the Peterlee Parachute Centre, has been was designed by Durham-based
architects, Ashdown Architects.
The museum has already acquired several helicopters, including the actual Bell 47 Westland Sioux featured in the MASH TV series.
Museum
trustee Madeleine Ashdown said: “This will be a groundbreaking venture
in the field of rehabilitation for disabled former armed forces
personnel, injured on active service.
“Veterans will undertake training programs specially tailored to build skills and confidence to help them get back to work.
“Bespoke
aircraft engineering courses are being developed with the help of
Hartlepool Aviation Academy, and students will work in the
state-of-the-art maintenance workshop.”
Ms Ashdown said the
purpose-built museum had already attracted significant interest from
helicopter companies offering contracts for servicing, maintenance and
dismantling of obsolete machines.
She said: “These operations
will assure the economic sustainability of the project. Volunteer
placements will also be available for workers to run the museum.
“The
Museum will develop an important collection of historic helicopters,
many of which would rust away and disintegrate if not given a home and
lovingly restored.”
The collection will provide material for
teaching packages designed to tie in with schools' Key Stages curricula,
and offer hands-on opportunities to learn about aviation history,
science and engineering.
Ms Ashdown said: “This is first and
foremost a community-based project, and has been welcomed by the people
of Shotton Colliery and east Durham.
“Museum trustees hope that
the local community will be keen to engage with the project, and that
inward investment from spin-off enterprise will benefit the local
economy and encourage creation of new jobs.”
Designs for
submission of a full planning application are ready, and can be viewed
on www.facebook.com/durhamhelicoptermuseum or
www.ashdownarchitects.co.uk.
Story and Photos: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk
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