Heritage centre for Mansfield Woodhouse Library

The history of Mansfield Woodhouse will soon come to life, thanks to a successful bid for lottery cash by a local councillor.

County and district councillor, Joyce Bosnjak, has worked to secure more than £90,000 for an educational heritage project in the newly-refurbished Mansfield Woodhouse Library.

The library is due to re-open this Saturday, 19th October, and a section will be designated to the heritage area, which Coun Bosnjak hopes will become an education beacon for schoolchildren.

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She said: “Mansfield Woodhouse is steeped in history and had got loads of things for it.

“We have masses of archive material that the Old Mansfield Woodhouse Society has been collecting, and this is the perfect opportunity to put it all on display.

“All of it is in storage at the moment, but we have material going back 200 years.

“I’m sure people have photos as well at the bottom of their wardrobes we could use as well.”

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As well as old photogrpahs, Coun Bosnjak is wanting, stories, historical artefacts, and is even calling for local people to record memories of the 
elderly in Mansfield Woodhouse before they are lost forever.

The heritage area will utilise a rear section of the library making use of a courtyard area.

Coun Bosnjak envisages schools being invited to learn at the centre, with plans for a sunken archeological pit containing bones and pottery shards for the youngsters to discover and learn about.

She says the welcome cash injection was the culmination of months of hard work.

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The idea came after she was impressed by the stories local schoolchildren came up with for a publication named called ‘Myths and Legends of Mansfield Woodhouse’.

But she admits it has taken a lot of hard work .

“It’s been a very lengthy process and difficult at times, but the Heritage Lottery Fund staff have been very helpful because they know it’s a good idea.

“It’s fantastic, it’s interactional and will give kids a sense of where they come from.”

Although the library will re-open this Saturday, the official opening of the heritage centre will be held on 23rd November.

Anyone wishing to get involved or donate photos or artefacts should contact Coun Bosnjak on 07740 845737.

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