VOLUNTEERS Ron and Cindy Dunn say a major Lottery accolade for the Lions Salt Works Museum will put the attraction ‘on the map’.

The Marston couple are volunteers at the museum, and part of a team who helped secure the votes which earned the museum a National Lottery Award.

The museum won the title of the UK’s best heritage project, and celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott presented the award to Cheshire West Cabinet member Cllr Louise Gittins in the presence of museum staff, volunteers and trustees.

The museum, which opened last year following a four-year restoration, won the heritage accolade after receiving almost 6,000 votes during the annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects.

It has won a £3,000 cash prize and a trophy, and will attend a star-studded awards ceremony, The National Lottery Stars, to be broadcast on BBC One on September 12.

Ron and Cindy, members of Antrobus Players and the Earl of Stamford Morris group, attended the award presentation, and visited the Cheshire Show, the Rustic Music and Arts Festival and Morris dance festivals to attract public votes for the museum.

“We were absolutely over the moon that all the work everyone had put in to attract votes had been worthwhile,” said Ron.

“Almost everyone wanted to vote for the museum, and it’s amazing how many people not only knew about the museum but had connections with it.

“The award will put the museum on the map, and hopefully bring in more visitors to see what a fantastic attraction it is.

“There are only four of these places in the world, and I don’t think any of them is on a par with The Lion Salt Works Museum.

“Collecting six thousand names is less than a month is brilliant, and it was very much a team effort.”

Ainsley Harriott described the award ceremony as ‘a momentous occasion’.

“What really touched me is that six thousand people voted for the museum,” he said at the presentation.

“People believed in this project, and it gives me enormous pleasure to present the award.

“Everyone should know about the museum, which offers something for everyone.”

He praised the passion of everyone connected with the museum, including the team of volunteers, for wanting to keep part of Britain’s industrial heritage alive.

The invited guests included 1874 Northwich Football Club chairman Paul Stockton, who worked at the salt works, which closed in 1986, as a student in 1970.

“There are not many people around who worked at the salt works, and I’m so pleased it has been restored,” he said “They have done a fantastic job, and it’s the icing on the cake to receive this award.”

Trustee Martin Boyatt said: “The award confirms what we have all believed – that this is something very special and has huge potential.

“I hope it will bring even more people along and persuade even more people about how special it is.”

Cllr Gittins said: “Everyone at the museum is absolutely delighted to have won this award – to us it is like winning an Olympic gold medal.

“Thanks to the vision of an extraordinary group of trustees we have been able to restore this site, which is one of the most important industrial heritage sites in the UK and one of the last remaining open-pan salt works in the world.”