Free fun for National Lottery players at Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

29 Nov 2017

From 11 to 17 December 2017, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre will be opening its doors for free to anyone who has ever played the National Lottery.

By offering free admission to Lottery players, Jodrell Bank will be joining over 350 other Heritage Lottery Fund supported venues across the UK. The initiative forms part of a nation-wide campaign to say ‘thanks’ to people who play the Lottery and to demonstrate the impact of Lottery funding.

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “December is a wonderful time to experience the UK’s rich, diverse and exciting heritage, which has been transformed by more than £7bn National Lottery funding since 1994. This is a small gesture of thanks and a way of giving something back to the people who buy tickets.”

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre was recently awarded £12m from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support its First Light Project. A further £4m towards the project from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was also announced in the recent Autumn Budget. The ambitious and exciting new project aims to conserve and restore the heritage of the Jodrell Bank site and will include the creation of a spectacular new gallery in which visitors can engage with the site’s unique and inspiring history.

Lorna Harper, Deputy Director of Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre said: “Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, we’ve been able to do begin work on this exciting new development for Jodrell Bank. While we’re still in the early stages of the project, this is a great opportunity for us to say thank you to those people that have helped fund it.”

The idea is simple: between 11 – 17 December, visitors who have ever played the National Lottery will get free admission to the Discovery Centre. Proof of this can be either digital or paper (such as an online lottery account, a lottery ticket or scratch card) and the date of purchase is not relevant.

Along with free entry to the Discovery Centre, which includes interactive exhibits about Jodrell Bank, visitors can enjoy further free events and activities such as Garden Tours, Science Shows and drop-in Craft Activities running throughout the week.

The Jodrell Bank team are expecting the Centre to be busy and so visitors are encouraged to book their free tickets in advance online. Visitors can bring as many of their friends and family with them with a single lottery ticket, but should be sure to add them to their booking.

Events and Activities:

The Discovery Centre is open daily from 10am – 5pm (last admission 4pm) and the following events and activities will be taking place during the week 11 – 17 December. All are included in free admission and are available on a drop-in basis.

Weekdays (Monday 11 – Friday 15 December):

Garden Tours
Join one of Jodrell Bank’s senior gardeners for a winter tour of the Jodrell Bank gardens and arboretum.
Daily at 11:30am

Telescope Walking Tours
Jodrell Bank’s friendly Explainers will be leading walking tours around the base of the Lovell Telescope. Find out more about the impressive Grade 1 Telescope, explore its fascinating history, and discover some of its ground-breaking research
Daily at 2:30pm

Weekends (Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 December):

Stars Science Shows
Perfect for all the family, come along and discover the wonder of stars in this fun and fact-packed live science show. Look out for interactive demonstrations and live experiments!
Daily at 12pm and 3pm

Craft Activities
Drop-in to our events space to learn all about stars. You’ll be able to have a go at making your own Christmas start to take away and decorate your home with.
Daily from 11am – 4pm

For full listings and booking information, visit www.jodrellbank.net/thankstoyou