We have continued to rise to the challenges of making Hampshire a great place to live for all our residents by providing diverse cultural activities. These contribute to quality of life and well-being and hopefully, make people proud to live in Hampshire.

This year has seen major achievements and strides forward, the highlights of which you can see on the following pages. Once again, the whole Recreation and Heritage Department has been recognised through the award of Charter Mark, a truly significant measure of the quality of our service and our customer focus as a whole. In addition, many of our sites have been awarded their own individual excellence awards.

I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone in Recreation and Heritage, without whose huge effort none of what we do would be possible. I would also like to express my sincere congratulations to the Director of Recreation and Heritage, Yinnon Ezra, who this year has been made an MBE in recognition of his services to local government.

Councillor Margaret Snaith Executive Member, Recreation and Heritage

I am delighted to welcome you to the Recreation and Heritage Annual Report which highlights many of the varied activities the Department has been involved in over the course of the past year.

These activities range from clearing a local footpath, to developing a volunteer scheme, to the opening of the iconic Winchester Discovery Centre. Whatever the size of these projects, they all go towards achieving our overriding aim of helping people make the most of living in and visiting our culturally rich county of Hampshire. Through staff efforts and professional marketing we strive to reach as many peopleas possible to encourage increased participation.

We need constantly to modernise, re-focus services and develop new ways of working. This constant search to innovate is the only way to ensure that our services adapt and change to meet the aspirations of our customers. We are only able to achieve our goals through the dedication, patience and hard work of our staff and the ever increasing number of volunteers. Our partnerships with District and Borough Councils and with colleagues across the County Council also make an enormous contribution to what we do.

Without this fantastic team much of what we do would just not happen. For me, our four star achievement in the CPA Culture block 2007, together with the renewal of Charter Mark for all Services were particular highlights. Finally, a big thank you to the many County Councillors who support the Department’s activities, but in particular Cllr Ken Thornber, Leader of the Council and Cllr Margaret Snaith the Cabinet Member for Recreation and Heritage for their encouragement and very tangible support. Thank you to all who have helped make this year such a success.

Yinnon Ezra Director, Recreation and Heritage

Successful restructuring of the Library Service to achieve greater customer focus Successful capital and refurbishment projects

• Winchester Discovery Centre
• Hampshire Record Office refurbishment including integration of Archives and Local Studies
• Whitchurch Library
• Refurbishment of Stubbington, Lee-on-the-Solent and Andover libraries
• First Connect Centre at Botley

Successful £1.2 million lottery bid

• Awarded by the Community Libraries Project for work in Havant, Waterlooville and Aldershot

Charter Mark three-year re-certification for the whole of Recreation and Heritage

Calshot Activity Centre rated ‘outstanding’ for its quality of teaching and learning

Expansion of the Adult Physical Activity Programme

Expansion of curriculum and non-curriculum learning and development opportunities

• 37,485 pupils in school visits to museums and archives
• 25,585 to countryside sites

Library Service and Rights of Way first to go live with Hantsdirect

Restoration work at Odiham Castle involving numerous volunteers

Museums Service successful grant bids

• From the Heritage Lottery Fund  Allen Gallery £45,000
• Basing House £1,100,000
• Havant Museum £8,000
• King Alfred exhibition at Winchester Discovery Centre £45,000

From the Wolfson Foundation

• Willis Museum £50,000

Arts Service successes

• Application to Arts Council England for Phase 2 of Creative Hampshire Partnerships £120,000
• Literature Development Programme successfully reinstated
• Arts Marketing Hamshire bid to Arts Council England for organisational development £75,000