Worksop charity awarded Lottery cash for heritage and health project

Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, their ambition for the project is threefold: to engage wider and more diverse audiences with heritage activities that can boost wellbeing, demonstrate effective ways to use heritage to support people to connect, be active, be mindful, to learn and to give back, and to safeguard the resilience of Aurora Wellbeing as a heritage, wellbeing and community Hub which includes its popular tea room.

The Heritage and Health project set out to return heritage to the Old Library and Museum building in Worksop and use heritage activities to support the delivery of Aurora Wellbeing’s core aim – to care for people affected by cancer in Bassetlaw.

This new project will enable Aurora to support more local people and secure the projects legacy, encouraging people to celebrate, enjoy and discover Worksop’s history – its stories, its people and its objects in the Heritage Hub. It will also allow Aurora to continue championing heritage as a route to improved health and explore the ways that access to local heritage and engagement with it boosts wellbeing.

Debra Fores, Aurora Wellbeing general manager, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive the resilience grant from the Lottery. This will enable us to take the heritage, wellbeing and community services we offer forward into the future. This will benefit more local people and improve the services we offer.

The Aurora Wellbeing Centre in Worksop is a unique wellbeing service providing support in the Bassetlaw community for people affected by cancer, long-term health conditions and the local community. Aurora’s aim is to provide person-centred, holistic support to local people, and to encourage them to be active participants in their wellbeing, working together to improve physical and emotional health.