The July edition of the Herald includes a press release to give an update on HPHA. Click on the button below and you will redirected to the Herald website to read the release.
Dear members, volunteers and to all those who follow and support the activities of the Hythe Pier Heritage Association.
I wanted to share with you our message of support for Blue Funnel Ferries, the operator of Hythe Ferry. I am sure that you are all aware that on April 18th the ferry operations were suspended due to the dramatic turn down in passenger footfall that followed the extraordinary measures imposed by central Government to control the Covid-19 epidemic here in the UK. Blue Funnel like so many small and medium sized businesses is now facing real challenges with great uncertainty and a complete collapse in demand for its services.
As you know the Hythe Pier Heritage Association has been working with Blue Funnel since 2017 in an effort to secure a new future for the Hythe Pier and the Hythe Pier Railway. The plans for the restoration of both of these assets are now taking shape and legal agreements between ourselves and Blue Funnel are at an advanced stage.
With design development for the pier restoration in progress and works to restore the pier railway all set to begin, this national emergency and health crisis could not have come at a worse moment.
The continuation and development of a vibrant and viable ferry operation is essential to the long term success of our community project. It would be a disaster if the ferry operator were to fail.
Our objects and purposes are two-fold, the first is to preserve, protect, restore and redevelop the pier, train and associated buildings and structures for the benefit of the community and the wider public. The second is to share and advance the education of the community and the wider public in the history and heritage of the pier, train and ferry.
This crisis is unprecedented and the circumstances are exceptional. Without the ferry our pier has no central purpose, without the pier the ferry has no landing place, the two are intrinsically linked, right now there is a common purpose and I have today made my own personal contribution. I therefore have no hesitation in asking you to support their appeal and I am sharing it on our face book page.
https://www.facebook.com/HythePierHA/
Peter King
Good morning,
I realise it will be a little early for many of you but I had a moment so thought this as good a time as any to bring you some news. As you know we have recently begun to plan and organise the project to restore our historic pier railway. Well I am delighted to confirm that we have received our first significant financial support with a grant of £10,000 from the Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation. This really is a fantastic start to our fundraising campaign to restore the 98 year old pier railway. As we head towards its centenary of almost continuous operation we have put together an ambitious plan to raise over £200,000 to fund this element of the project.
Of course we recognise that right now our public interest is our common interest and so we have suspended most of our operations and activities during the Covid-19 health crisis. However as soon as circumstances permit we will resume working hard to secure the funding we need to ensure the future of this unique piece of our heritage.
Here is the press release we have issued regarding the grant.
If you would like to help us keep the railway restoration plan on track then email us on info@hythepierha.org.uk or message us here Hythe Pier Heritage Association – HPHA
Enjoy your weekend
Stay safe
Regards
Peter King
Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation grant puts railway restoration plan on track
Hythe Pier Heritage Association has received support for its plans to restore the historic Hythe Pier railway with a grant of £10,000 from the Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation, a charity established to support local organisations and individuals.
Peter King, chair of HPHA welcomed this support saying, “this is a great start to our funding campaign to support the restoration of historic and much loved pier railway. We are very grateful to the Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation for their support and endorsement of our plans”.
He added “these funds will be used to buy the materials we need to begin the work to rebuild the railway carriages which are in a poor state of repair. The work will begin once the current restrictions imposed due the Covid-19 Coronavirus crisis have been lifted “.
The Hythe Pier railway first began operating in the summer of 1922 and apart from a short period following the collision with the pier by the dredger ‘ Donald Redford ‘ in 2003 it has been operating continuously throughout the last 98 years. It is recognised in the renowned Guinness Book of Records as the ‘longest continuously running electric pier train in the world’.
The Hythe Pier Heritage Association was established as a community group during the autumn of 2016 following the announcement by the former operator White Horse Ferries, that the ferry service between Hythe Pier and Town Quay in Southampton might close, It has since registered as a community benefits society in February 2018 and was granted exempt charitable status by HMRC later that year. Volunteers are now working on a plan to secure a long term lease of the Victorian pier and seek major funding to restore and redevelop it to create a community facility for public benefit and to advance the education of the history and heritage of the pier, train and ferry in the community.
In response to guidance from HM Government in relation to the health crisis caused by the Coronavirus epidemic.
Well, I don’t think that anyone could have predicted that we would be in the midst of the single biggest international health crisis that we have faced in modern peacetime. We are in a very fast changing and developing situation. It seems that no one can be quite certain what the outcome will be, indeed right now it seems unclear what will happen tomorrow let alone during the coming weeks and months.
What is clear is that like any responsible organisation we need to take the steps necessary to reduce the risk in what we do in order to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
I know that many of our members, volunteers and supporters are retired and may be more vulnerable at this time. Your help and support is invaluable, without it we would not be able to achieve anything. We have therefore decided to suspend all our current activities until this health emergency is over.
So,
- We will not proceed with our planned spring event at the Pier.
- We will not undertake any other activities that would require even small gatherings or group meetings.
- Work on the restoration of the railway carriage working with the volunteers at the The Shed at Hythe Pier will be suspended with immediate effect.
- We will suspend any planned attendance or participation at other community events for the next 12 weeks.
- Our AGM for members, which would normally be held in May, will be postponed for at least three months.
We will keep this situation under close review and keep you informed as to the future plans and any changes we make. We will consider different ways for us to connect and share ideas and information.
The management team and key volunteers will continue sharing information and working on the project plans and other matters that are currently in progress.
What I do want to say is this, the pier, the train and the ferry have been here for a very long time, they will still be here when this crisis is over. Right now there are more important things to consider, your well being, the health and well being of your family, your friends and the whole community. This is what matters right now.
So please stay safe, take care and be assured that we will come together again to meet and enjoy events on the pier and support this project.
With my very best wishes to all of you.
Peter King
We are extremely pleased to say that work will begin on one of the train carriages , thanks to all the skilled volunteers keen to begin restoration of our much loved train.
The aim is to dismantled carriage four housed in the train workshop and rebuild section by section in The Shed, started by Allan Fairhead; carpenters, boatbuilders and other skilled volunteers will lend their hand and hearts to restore over the next couple of months. The sections will then be reassembled in the Railway workshop at the Pier. This is a collaborative project with Blue Funnel Ferries who will be undertaking all engineering aspects.
Once this carriage is ready again for service, we will be able to commence restoration works on another carriage, our aim being that all four carriages and tractors are fully restored ready for the next 100 years!