Gatton Park Education Trust is 10!

On May 31 st GPET celebrated its 10 th birthday by gathering together all of our friends, sponsors and supporters from the last 10 years for a lunch and walk around the park.

Over the 10 years we have had six members of staff and tens of volunteers organising activities for hundreds of adult visitors and thousands of children. We have used Gatton Park as inspiration in a diverse range of activities – from watercolour painting, to monitoring for pollution, drama workshops based on the history of the park to orienteering. We have worked with all ages, from across the country – even a group of children from Belarus!

Over the ten years the most important aspect of our work has been the relationships that we have built with local families, schools and other partner organisations. We are now a well known organisation in our community and our educational activities are valued by parents and teachers alike.

What will we achieve in the next 10 years?

Discovering Gatton's past

We are looking for volunteers to help compile a history of Gatton.

Our history streches back to 1086 where we are mentioned in the Doomsday book. Owners have included a Bishop a Lord and a mustard magnate.
Gatton Park has been used as a private residence a pleasure garden, a training area for troops in the war and is now a school.
Ownership is split between the Royal Alexandra and Albert School and the National Trust.

	The Surrey Gardens Trust is embarking on a new project to research and catalogue an archive about this historic landscape's past. Although there is already lot's of information about the park it is not easy to use as it is not properly catalogued or organised. We would like to make it easier for people to gain a more detailed understanding of the park. We are therefore looking for volunteers to help research and catalogue the information. We also need help with graphic design and website creation.
The completed project will provide really useful information for all the courses and workshops that we provide for the children and anyone who visits Gatton Park on an open day.
There will be two training workshops for volunteers to attend which are being run by The Surrey History Centre. They will learn or develop the skills that they require and further workshops will be organised as the project progresses. The project is part of the Local Heritage Initiative supported by the Heritage lottery Fund. It is also supported by the Surrey Hills Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership.

If you would lke to get involved in the project or for more information, please contact the Education Officer Louise Miller on 01737 649066