From Buckingham Palace to the Walsall Leather Museum, and from Gainsborough Old Hall to Windsor Castle, heritage sites in the UK and Ireland will receive recognition for their education work on Friday (5th December).

Forty-two museums, parks, zoos, houses and archives will receive a prestigious Sandford Award at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Dr Lucy Worsley (pictured), author, TV presenter and Chief Curator of the Historic Royal Palaces, will present the awards, which are given every year in recognition of excellence in heritage education.

The awards are jointly managed by Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln and the Heritage Education Trust, and BGU’s Vice Chancellor, the Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, will give the vote of thanks after the ceremony. The winners, which represent a cross-section of heritage sites from across the country, this year include Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast, Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex and the company archive of Marks & Spencer.

Dr Tracy Borman, Sandford Co-ordinator at Bishop Grosseteste University, said: “The National Maritime Museum is a fitting setting for this year’s Sandford Awards, where we will be paying tribute to the innovative education work being undertaken by all our winners. “We look forward to an enjoyable ceremony and extend our congratulations to all the sites receiving awards this year.”

The awards ceremony begins at 11am on Friday 5th December and members of the media are welcome to attend. If you would like to come, please contact Shooting Star PR by calling 01522 528540 or by emailing hello@shootingstar-pr.co.uk.

Sandford Award Winners 2014

18 Stafford Terrace

Benjamin Franklin House

Bramall Hall

Bowhill House and Country Estate

Buckingham Palace

Cannon Hall

Chester Zoo

Chiltern Open Air Museum

Combe Sydenham

Culzean Castle and Country Park

Crumlin Road Gaol

Cutty Sark

Dunster Castle and Gardens

Fishbourne Roman Palace

Fort Nelson

Gainsborough Old Hall

Gawthorpe Hall

Hill of The O’Neill and Ranfurly House

Holyroodhouse Palace

Llancaiach Fawr Manor House

Lauriston Castle

London Metropolitan Archives

Lotherton Hall

M&S Company Archive

Moseley Old Hall

Museum of Lancashire

The National Archives

National Museum of Ireland – Country Life

No.1 Royal Crescent, Bath

Roman Baths Museum

Royal Museums Greenwich

Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sutton House

Thackray Medical Museum

Time & Tide Museum

Ufton Court

V&A Museum of Childhood

Walsall Leather Museum

Wilderspin National School Museum

Wildlife Trust Countryside Centre

Ramsey Heights

Windsor Castle


4th December 2014