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Bridges to the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs published their Delivery Report!3 years ago
Delivered 13 January 2021
Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
By Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
Do you want to get up close and personal with Crystal Palace's iconic Dinosaurs? Help us build a bridge so we can run tours, volunteer opportunities, school trips & more to our unique Dino Island!
The Dinosaurs are a unique set of sculptures in Crystal Palace Park. They are located on islands which the public can't usually get on to. The sculptures are Grade I listed heritage assets and are internationally important, as they were a pivotal event in the history of science. The Friends of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs are frequently asked ‘Can we get onto the islands, get up close & find out more about the Dinosaurs?’ This is currently possible only a few times per year, when we pay to have an expensive and ugly temporary bridge erected. We need a new, permanent bridge. A physical bridge to the island will enable us to build imaginative bridges to the past. With a bridge we can deliver an exciting, interactive programme of events on ‘Dinosaur Island’ on a regular basis. We will run tours by experts in history, science, art and conservation. Volunteers will be able to get stuck in to projects around the sculptures. Gardeners and conservators can keep the site in shape.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs are a unique and widely-loved symbol of the local area. They were built in the 1850s in the grounds of the Crystal Palace and were the first ever life-sized reconstructions of extinct animals. 95% visitors told us in a recent survey that they would like a tour of the island. A new bridge would allow us to run tours for around 1200 people per year, helping to build love of the Dinos, an understanding of the history of the local area and of natural history among a wide range of residents – the Dinosaurs are loved by young & old. Increasing visitor numbers to the park could help to improve the mental health of our population: there are strong links between well-being & spending time in the outdoors, learning new things and spending time with friends & family. A permanent bridge will also allow easier access for wider engagement, access for other groups & make routine maintenance easier & cheaper - helping to conserve the Dinosaurs for the long term.
Steps to get it done:
We have had an extraordinary offer from architectural practice Tonkin Liu to deliver a pro bono design for a bridge to the Dinosaur Islands. This practice is known for its innovative pedestrian bridges, lightweight constructions, and sensitive designs. Their work has been featured in numerous urban landscapes, RIBA and the Royal Academy. With Tonkin Liu, our aim is that the new bridge will be practical, elegant and a fitting addition to this beautiful landscape.
Journey
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Hello Dinosaur Bridge supporter! Thank you again for the part you've played in reinstating access to the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs with a beautiful new bridge. We are delighted to report that, despite the rest of the world coming to a halt, plans for the Dinosaur Bridge have moved forward to the point we are poised to start installation as soon as work is allowed. The Bridge Committee has met essentially weekly over the past year to keep plans moving forward. The bridge has now been fabricated and is ready to be installed. Site preparation will take 4-6 weeks. At the end we will need a bit more volunteer help with final landscaping, but it will then be ready for our launch! We have had lots of professionals give generous pro bono help. Photographer and writer James Balston has chronicled the fabrication process and has written this gorgeous blogpost about it so you can get a glimpse behind the scenes. We're giving you a preview before it goes public tomorrow. We hope you enjoy it! https://thetrianglese19.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=APq4FmCViHmLj31Tpsn5Y0jZP6TqDzBHpvmp37SPqipIducmEVDZWKkeC2dF2FKmrX-QeIRNc5Nk9S1Ci-Q_GVmdbcUwXJUY0j_u8S_MtXuKNQ7xhgrTRVxPOEWK-JJekA0zZ-htizh_&postId=5987184518548874687&type=POST We look forward to giving you more updates soon! Warmest wishes, Ellinor and the Dinosaur Bridge Committee
Hi all, thank you so much to everyone who came to see us at one of our consultation events at the end of July, and to everyone who commented via our website or at the Paxton Centre. We had more than 70 - overhwlemingly positive - responses, which was fantastic, and will really help us in the next phase of the project to build the bridge: getting planning permission. Our application has gone in, so keep your fingers crossed for us. In the meantime, we know that the main reasons people support the bridge are to help conserve the dinosaurs and to give you more opportunities to see them up close on the island. We're holding a Heritage Open Day again this year on Sunday 15 September, and again will be providing tours/ opportunities to get onto the island. As usual, numbers on the tours will be limited so you'll need to book in advance (although they will be free.) We'll be putting times and booking details online in early September to watch this space or our social media for more. 'Dino Day' will also include talks for dinosaur/ extinct creature-lovers of all ages, storytelling, drawing, badge making and mask-making for the kids, art works inspired by the Dinos and much more, so do come along! And if you'd like to volunteer to help on the day, please get in touch by replying to this email. Many thanks, and we hope to see you on 15 September. Best wishes from all at FCPD.
Just a reminder that our consultation event for the #DinoBridge is TOMORROW (Sunday 28 July). If you want to find out more about the the bridge, how we came up with the design, why it will be secure and much much more (or if you just want to say hi!), come along to Brown and Green's in the Park between 12-3pm. Information will also be available in the Paxton Centre and online for a couple of weeks afterwards if you can't get to Crystal Palace on Sunday. Hope to see you there! With best wishes, from all at FCPD
Would you like to know more about our plans for the Dino Bridge? If you'd like to find out more, come along to Brown and Greens in Crystal Palace Park this coming Sunday, 28 July from 12-3pm where you can quiz the Bridge architects Tonkin Liu as well as Trustees and Board members of the Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs about our plans to make the #DinoBridge a reality. We'd love to talk to you, so please do come along. If you can't make it, never fear! There will be information about the bridge design in the Paxton Centre (opposite CP train station) for 2 weeks after the event, and you can provide comments about our proposals either by replying to this email, getting in touch on social media or by visiting https://cpdinosaurs.org/bridge. Please let us have your thoughts by 11th August. Please do let us know what you think, in person or online. With very best wishes All at FCPD
EXCITING TIMES!! This is the model of the #DinoBridge design we're been working on with our architects Tonkin Liu, engineers Arup and fabricators Cake Industries. And its been selected to be displayed at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition! We're really thrilled by it, and hope you are too - watch this space (and social media) for consultation dates in July when you'll get the chance to see the bridge designs in more detail and give your opinions. Hope you are all having a great (and not too soggy) summer. Best wishes from all at FCPD
Hi friend of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs! Sorry we've been quiet recently - we've been beavering away behind the scenes on the bridge, and we're nearly ready to share our plans with you - watch this space for more! In the meantime though, we have a favour to ask. Please help us with 4 minutes of your time filling in an easy form - you will increase our chances at getting a small grant of £1000! We are the target kind of charity (heritage, education and arts), but but we need to act fast - deadline midnight Friday. The more nominations we get, the better our chances. The nomination form is really easy. Fill in: Charity number: 1165231 (Charity name comes up automatically) Charity type: Heritage Arts Your name, email, age bracket, general location IN UK or IRELAND ONLY 'Why are you nominating' statement: can be anything brief ...just saying 'I love what this charity does for our local area, kids, families, and for the wider world' , or 'Saving the world's historic first dinosaurs is important and fun' is enough. https://www.ecclesiastical.com/movement-for-good/nominate-a-charity/ We are currently fundraising to help with some unexpected costs for our bridge, so we really need this boost right now. Please also send to all your pals who might be able to help. Thanks for pitching in! Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
Hello all Just an update on the last post. For most people, the money you pledged should have left your bank accounts now, either via Paypal or 'GoCardless', whichever you selected. For those of you who chose 'GoCardless' it will show on your bank statement as a Direct Debit - however please be assured that this is a one off payment. You should have received an email from Spacehive telling you that they would be collecting your money, but if you would like a receipt for your payment as well, please contact Spacehive and they will be happy to provide you with one. There are a few people who, for some reason, the usual payment mechanisms didn't work - if you are one of those people you should have had emails from Spacehive and me (Charlotte Wightwick) in order to get things sorted out. Thank you to you all for your patience in getting this sorted. Finally, thank you all again for your support for the Dino Bridge. We're making good progress in our plans for the Bridge, and we have our next FCPD Board meeting tonight when we'll be discussing next steps. My next update will give you some more details on progress! Best wishes Charlotte
You should have received an email from Spacehive today to let you know that they will be taking the money you pledged for the Dino Bridge in the next few days. Its taken a few weeks, as Spacehive wait until they know which of the Crowdfund London projects have been successful, and then we've had to do the paperwork - signing contracts etc - to help ensure that your money will be spent properly. Thank you again for pledging, and do get in touch if you'd like to chat about the Bridge or anything else Dino-related.
How will the money be spent?Total £70,238
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Total £70,238
Our Volunteer List
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VolunteerThe Friends of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs are a registered charity whose aims are to promote the long-term, sustainable conservation of the 30+ unique sculptures in Crystal Palace Park, and to promote their historical, scientific and cultural importance both within the local community and more widely.
Project Owner: Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
Contractor: Tonkin-Liu The team responsible for building or installing the project.
