Sell out event
Posted on Friday 22nd June 2018
More than 125 people visited Newport’s Transporter Bridge last night, June 21 – the longest day - to watch the sun go down.
The City of Newport Male Choir performed at the sunset event as visitors enjoyed the special evening held to launch Newport City Council’s scheme to raise funds to secure the future of the iconic structure.
This is the first of many events taking place to encourage different uses of the bridge, different experiences and to attract new visitors.
The Council and the Friends of the Bridge, which is a registered charity, organised the event to ask the local community to help the council raise £100,000 and to launch the appeal’s just giving page.
Money raised, along with donations, will be used to build on the successful first round funding bid from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) which awarded £1 million for the project earlier this year.
The council and the Friends need to show there is enough local support to go for the second round of the HLF funding bid and to attract extra funding in the form of grants.
Chris Goddard, who works for the council’s Streetscene department is doing his bit by allowing his award winning image of the bridge to be used on postcards and other items to go on sale in the visitor centre.
The HLF grant, and money raised for the fund, will go towards carrying out repairs to the Victorian gondola used to carry both passengers and vehicles over the River Usk and for the ongoing cost of general repairs and maintenance of the 112 year old bridge.
A spokesperson for the council said: “It was a sell out event and luckily the weather was fantastic resulting in a spectacular sunset.
“Some visitors walked over the top and others enjoyed the view from the gondola while the choir performed.
“It was a very successful evening and we plan to build on this and stage similar events in the future.”
If anyone would like to find out more about the HLF scheme and how it is helping Newport Transporter Bridge visit http://www.newport.gov.uk/heritage/Transporter-Bridge/Transporter-Bridge.aspx
And if you would like to donate to the fund visit:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/newporttransporterbridge1?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Yimbyprojectpage&utm_content=newporttransporterbridge1&utm_campaign=projectpage-share-owner&utm_term=4wJMG7mEj