Appeal launched to save Wicksteed Park

Wicksteed Park has a number of rides including the Dinosaur Valley rollercoaster

The owners of one of the UK's oldest theme parks say it could "cease to exist in its current form" without extra funding.

An appeal has been launched to save Wicksteed Park, in Northamptonshire, which was founded in 1921.

National Lottery and Cultural Recovery funding helped the park recover from losses caused by the Covid shutdown but Oliver Wicksteed, chair of a charitable trust that owns the park, said it needed "that level of support year-on-year in order to safeguard the park's future".

A lottery grant of £250,000 will be used to create a full-time fundraising team.

The trust warned that free access to the park, which has been available for more than a century, may have to be restricted.

Wicksteed Park pavilion opened in 1921 and is used for community events and private functions

The park in Kettering was founded in 1921 by Charles Wicksteed and has created fond memories for generations of people from the surrounding area.

The Reverend Richard Coles and the comedian James Acaster are among those who have spoken of their affection for the venue.

Alongside its rides, the park has gardens, walking trails, a nature reserve and a pavilion, which is used for community events and private functions.

The chairman of the charitable trust, Oliver Wicksteed, said "a great deal of money" was needed to keep the park open for the public

Mr Wicksteed said: "The Trust has invested millions in recent years to try to secure a sustainable future but ultimately this is a private park which needs a great deal of money to maintain if we are to continue to open for people to use free of charge, as we have for more than 100 years."

The trust said the Labour government's first budget "placed significant additional cost pressures on the park" through increases in the minimum wage and employer's National Insurance contributions.

Wicksteed Park railway opened in 1931 and the park says nearly 20 million people have travelled on it

The trust has appealed to individuals, community organisations and businesses to "support them in keeping Charles Wicksteed's legacy alive".

Part of the lottery grant of £250,000 will be used to fund a questionnaire asking visitors for their views of the park.