New Lottery Funded "millennium Timespace" Sundial Unveiled

New Lottery Funded "millennium Timespace" Sundial Unveiled

Millennium Timespace, one of the largest vertical sundials in the world, will be officially unveiled by Dr Heather Couper, Millennium Commissioner, on Friday 6th July. It is one of the features of the new Millennium Promenade at Gosport which is part of the Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium Project, supported by a Ł38 million lottery grant from the Millennium Commission.

The Millennium Timespace sundial spans 40 metres across with a 17 metre high mast. By day, cones on the mast will cast a time-telling shadow while by night a light clock will tell the time to passers by using LED lights in the paving of the new Millennium Promenade.

Other features of The Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Project include:

Explosion!, an interactive exhibition in Gosport which tells the story of naval firepower from gunpowder to the Exocet missile;
Action Stations, an interactive attraction where visitors can challenge Marines to a test of fitness in the physical arena, take control of a warship or experience a white knuckle ride in a Rigid Raider assault Boat, Sea Harrier or Lynx Helicopter;
The Millennium Tower which will offer stunning views of the harbour and across to the Isle of Wight;
Six kilometres of new promenades which are transforming the waterfront of Portsmouth and Gosport and linking the other elements of the project.

Millennium Commissioner Dr Heather Couper said, ?The Timespace is a really appropriate and exciting feature of the new Millennium Promenade at Gosport. It will be a landmark for Portsmouth Harbour and a lasting legacy for generations to come.

"The Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium Project is really putting Portsmouth Harbour on the map. The Millennium Commission is proud to be supporting this project which is creating new visitor destinations, regenerating Portsmouth?s historic harbour and waterfront and celebrating our exciting naval heritage."

Portsmouth is one of several waterfront schemes the Millennium Commission is supporting with lottery money. It is redeveloping Whitehaven?s harbour, restoring the Durham coastline through the Turning the Tide project and improving the Kings Lynn area of the Wash through the North Sea Haven project.

Overall, the Millennium Commission is distributing over Ł2 billion of lottery money to nearly 200 projects around the UK. Other exciting new attractions to visit include Magna, the recently opened science adventure centre in Rotherham, the internationally renowned Eden Project in Cornwall and the National Space Centre in Leicester which opened in June this year.

In addition, 16,000 small grants have been given to individuals across the UK to put a bright idea into practice to benefit themselves and their wider community through the Millennium Awards Scheme. A huge range of innovative projects have been undertaken from artists skills sharing groups to community support groups.

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Notes to editors

1. The Millennium Commission is one of the good causes funded by the National Lottery.

2. The Millennium Commission has also supported:

Around 200 new buildings, environmental projects and visitor attractions on over 3000 sites across the UK.
A UK-wide programme of community festivals which began on New Year?s Eve 1999 and culminated on New Year?s Eve 2000 with celebrations in 32 towns and cities across the UK.
The Millennium Experience at Greenwich and the National Programme.

3. The Millennium Commission also works with over 100 Awards Partner organisations to distribute Millennium Awards to individuals for community based projects.Over 16,000 people have already received a Millennium Award and there are still thousands of Awards available.Further information is available on 0800 06801 2000.

For further information contact: Millennium Commission Press Office on 020 7880 2007, out of hours 07775 573263

The Millennium Commission web sites can be accessed atwww.millennium.gov.uk and www.starpeople.org.uk

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