Hastings Museum & Art Gallery receives funding from The Royal Society for community project

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery has been awarded £3,500 through The Royal Society's Places of science scheme to develop the community project 'The Dinosaur on Your Doorstep'.

The funding will be used to engage with residents in Hollington through exciting events and activities inspired by the museum's collections and Hastings' dinosaur heritage.

The museum was one of only 36 museums to be awarded funding through the Places of science scheme, a scheme that aims to celebrate projects that evoke curiosity, interest, and enthusiasm by exploring science in a creative way.

Jonathan Ashmore, Chair of the Places of science panel, and Professor of Biophysics at University College London, said:

"The projects funded use a diverse range of creative activities and content to inspire their local communities.

"From using embroidery to teach us about the Quaker scientist John Dalton's work on meteorology, foraging walks to understand how the wool trade shaped the rich cultural history of Dartmoor, and using recycled tiles and crockery to celebrate a community's local palaeontology heritage, these museums all welcome and embrace their science stories, past and present.

"Many of this year's awardees are also actively trying to make sure that their projects are accessible to everyone in their local communities. If your local museum has been given a Places of science award, I would like to encourage you to look out for the displays, festivals, and exhibitions, that celebrate the science on your doorstep and that will inspire local generations to come."

Damian Etheraads, Museum & Cultural Development Manager, added:

"We are really pleased to have been awarded Places of science funding to help support this project. Our thanks go to the Royal Society and to the social housing provider Optivo and charity Fresh Visions who are supporting this project.

"Hastings has an important place in the history of dinosaur studies, with local fossils having influenced early dinosaur studies. We hope that people will enjoy getting involved with the project and learning about The Dinosaur on Your Doorstep."