Ellenroad Steam Museum needs your vote

The Ellenroad Engine House

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Ellenroad Steam Museum’s plans to renovate the Ellenroad Engine House in Newhey is one of eight projects competing in The People’s Millions TV contest for Big Lottery Fund money.

The show will be broadcast between 24-28 November on ITV Granada’s evening regional news.

The Rochdale community project could win up to £50,000, which if they won would be spent restoring the Engine House to its former glory in a bid to protect the exhibits in the building. There are also plans to use the money to target schools and encourage older students to take up engineering as a profession as well investing some of the money into other heritage activities.

The regional contest, that offers grants for the benefit of local communities, goes live next week. Each night two good causes will battle it out and at the end of the week four projects will have won a slice of £5million of lottery good cause cash.

Wednesday 26 November will see Ellenroad Steam Museum’s renovation go head to head with Tower Hill Youth Action Group from Clitheroe.

Ellenroad Engine House has the only fully-working cotton mill engine that is 160 years old, it is a site of great historical value.

Tim Nuttall, Tourism Officer for Rochdale Council said: “The Big Lottery Fund money is vitally important to the upkeep and renovation of the current Engine House into a museum of regional importance. The money will help fund the plans to develop a scheme for young people in the area who are considering a career in engineering. And where better to study and get experience than on a site where engineering pioneers made history back in 1892? I am urging all local residents to invest 10p in the future of Ellenroad and vote on Wednesday.”

People can vote for Rochdale from 9am on Wednesday 26 November. Calls will cost 10p per call from a BT landline; calls from other networks may vary and from mobiles will be considerably more. After operating costs have been recouped any remaining phone revenue will be donated to charity. ITV and BIG do not make a profit from the voting telephone numbers.