Tesco grant helps Crofton Beam Engines tell its story

Tesco Grant Helps Crofton Beam Engines Tell its Story

Bags of Help is one of Tesco’s local community grant scheme where the money raised by the carrier bag charge in Tesco stores is used to fund community projects. Following a vote from customers at Tesco’s Marlborough store, The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust was fortunate to be awarded £1500 to provide for the purchase of modern technology to tell the story of the canal and of Crofton Beam Engines.

Because internet reception in our part of rural Wiltshire is poor, we have installed an intranet to cover the whole of the Crofton Beam Engines site. We use QR codes as a way of accessing the intranet. Visitors with smartphones can then find out more about the site and the engines and watch videos of the engines in action on days when we are not in steam and drone footage of the site.

With the Tesco grant, we have purchased six iPads with rugged cases. This means that visiting school and community groups can also take advantage of this system. We also intend to use the iPads as an easy way of collecting feedback from visitors.

The new iPads are therefore helping us tell the story of Crofton’s 19th century technology to present day visitors using 21st century technology. This adds to Crofton’s appeal as a place for school groups to develop their STEM skills, and helps us engage more effectively with our visitors.