A NEW history project focusing on three figures from Poole’s maritime past has secured almost £10,000 National Lottery funding.

The ‘Pirates, Castaways and Codfish’ initiative, by the Rotary Club of Poole Bay, is based on the lives of Admiral Sir Thomas Button, Captain John Bennett and Governor Woodes Rogers.

These men all influenced the development of the port of Poole, during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Don Nutt, project manager for Poole Bay Rotary, said: “There has already been tremendous interest from local groups to help tell this story about the development of Poole as an international trading port.

“We are looking forward to making this new information easily available in a variety of different forms throughout the project.”

The club wants to produce a new exhibition for Poole Museum, a heritage booklet and self-guided walk, CD/audio visual display, together with a range of educational materials for use by schools.

It will also involve input from Poole Museum staff, Bournemouth University students, and staff and pupils of local schools.

The initiative grew from an original survey, undertaken by Poole Bay Rotary, to record the old alleyways of Poole.

During this survey work, the club discovered possible links between the old alleys and important historical figures from the town’s past.

This new project will build on the established Rotary ‘Five Quays Walk’ developed in 2011.

Nerys Watts, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund South West, which awarded a £9,900 grant for the scheme, said: “Thanks to the money raised by the National Lottery players, we’re pleased to support this project which will see volunteers play a key role in bringing Poole’s rich maritime heritage to life.”