Peterborough 900: Letting it Speak for Itself – Project Evaluation

Client:  Peterborough Cathedral

Dates: 2017

Budget: £2.5 million 

Project: Peterborough 900: Letting it Speak for Itself

The primary aims of the 900 Years project were to improve physical and intellectual access to the Cathedral, installing interpretation that would encourage visitors to ask questions, roll out a new learning offer, enhance learning partnerships, community learning, volunteering and employ a fractional Heritage Learning Officer. The intended outputs were a new guidebook, leaflet, welcome area, interpretation in the Cathedral and workshops for schools. There was also a community play, archaeological dig and other public events during the early stages of the project.

I was commissioned to undertake the final Evaluation Report for The National Lottery Heritage Fund reflecting on the delivery of both the capital project and Activity Plan. I interviewed the Design Team and staff at the Cathedral to identify what had gone well, less well and any unexpected outcomes. I also undertook primary research with visitors and volunteers to supplement secondary sources of information that had been collated during the project. The final Evaluation Report used this data to take a holistic view of the project and was presented in a format that reflected the new guidelines from the Heritage Fund which were published during the commission.