Dippy And The Dorset County Museum Win Award

Dippy the Diplodocus and the team at The Dorset County Museum have won a prestigious award.

Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure was awarded ‘Partnership of the Year’ at the Museums and Heritage Awards.

The award was given in recognition of the partnership with The Natural History Museum in a tour that began with Dippy’s stay in Dorchester, followed by Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Ulster Museum in Belfast. The Diplodocus cast is currently halfway through its UK tour, which continues to Newcastle, Cardiff, Rochdale and Norwich.

For the same award Dippy fought off competition from Oxford University Gardens, Libraries & Museums who were highly commended in the category. Museum of London and the Imperial War Museum were also among those shortlisted.

During his stay in Dorchester, Dippy the Diplodocus brought 153,189 visitors to the museum in early 2018.

Director of the Museum, Dr Jon Murden commented: ‘Dippy on Tour was an amazing experience for everyone at Dorset County Museum and was partnership working at its very best. We have been able to develop many new partnerships in the town and we intend to continue and develop this collaborative way of working. Dippy helped us transform the Museum, opening up new possibilities and new audiences. The community really took Dippy into their hearts, and the result was an exhibition and experience that no one in Dorset will ever forget.’

Dippy’s visit in Dorchester was embraced by the tour’s partners the Jurassic Coast Trust and Dorchester BID along with businesses and community groups across the South West, with events reaching over 25,000 people and contributing a staggering £2,250,000 to the local economy.

Phil Gordon, Project Director, at the Dorchester BID said: ‘We’re completely delighted about this award, it is so well deserved for all the hard work which went in to planning and executing such a fantastic, community project, Dippy on Tour.’

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