Bar Walls walk raises funds for Young Archaeologists’ Club (From York Press)
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Bar Walls walk raises funds for Young Archaeologists’ Club
9:46am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in News
A TROOP of intrepid young volunteers braved the cold to walk York’s city walls dressed as Romans to raise cash for their cause.
The team of staff and volunteers from the Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) and Council for British Archaeology (CBA) went equipped with Roman shields and spears and walked six laps of the city walls yesterday.
The event was in aid of the Dig Deep for the young archaeologists’ campaign which aims to raise money to save YAC’s branches which provide young people with unique opportunities to get involved with archaeology on a regular basis.
Branches are part of the CBA, an educational charity based in York, and can be found all over the UK. However cuts to the CBA’s funding mean that the branches are at risk of closure.
The Roman-themed walk was inspired by an idea from a YAC member and it is hoped that upwards of £2,000 can be raised to help secure the future of YAC’s branches.
To sponsor the team visit www.justgiving.com/teams/YAC or donate by text by texting YACR12 followed by the amount you want to give (£1, £2, £3, £4, £5, or £10) to 70070. All money raised will help support YAC’s work.
Meanwhile, the Yorkshire Museum Trust has raised the money needed to keep in York one of the first Iron Age gold torcs ever found in the north of England.
Earlier this month the trust announced that time was running out to make sure the 2,000-year-old solid gold torc, or bracelet, found near Tadcaster, was kept on public show in the county.
The successful appeal raised the full £25,000 through donations from the public and local trusts.
A total of £12,500 was donated by The Patricia & Donald Shepherd Charitable Trust with £1,000 from the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. Another grant of more than £6,000 was given by an anonymous benefactor.
March of history
WE all know about the procession of Roman soldiers said to haunt the cellars of Treasurer’s House, but legionaries marching on a medieval wall? Whatever next?
Well, that was the arresting sight for anyone gazing up at the Bar Walls yesterday, as a troop of would-be centurions raised their banners and brandished spears during a six-lap hike of the walls.
They are young archaeologists from York who were walking to raise £2,000 to save their archaeology clubs, which are under threat from cuts in funding.
In any city, their plea for help would be a reasonable one. But with the amount of history on our doorstep, surely we can club together and between us help young people who are trying to learn more about their past.
Blimp says...
10:50am Thu 2 Feb 12