RICHARD ARKLESS AND JOANNA LUMLEY WELCOME PETER PAN TEAM TO WESTMINSTER
Written by author on March 23, 2016
Local MP Richard Arkless this week hosted a very special event alongside actress and Alive 107.3 patron Joanna Lumley at Westminster for the local charity, The Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust.
The event – which brought together politicians, celebrities and business leaders – was organised by the MP to help raise the profile of the Trust’s inspiring work and bring the Moat Brae project to the attention of a wider audience.
Commenting on the event Mr Arkless said: “It was my absolute privilege to bring the magic of Peter Pan and Dumfries to Westminster. What the Trust has already achieved is astonishing and I am delighted to be able to support them by presenting their ambitious plans to invited guests and parliamentary colleagues.”
Joanna Lumley, the Trust’s Patron, said “To be able to sprinkle some fairy dust and spread the word of Moat Brae at Westminster was a wonderful opportunity.”
The Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust is a registered charity dedicated to restoring Moat Brae House in Dumfries and creating a National Centre for Children’s Literature and Storytelling. Following a very successful fundraising campaign, the Trust has managed to raise £5.3million of the £5.8million needed to convert the Georgian house and garden into an inspiring visitor centre right in the heart of Dumfries Town Centre.
Cathy Agnew, the Trust’s Project Director, said: “It was great to be able to take our project to London and connect with a 
wide range of current and future supporters. We know our project has the potential to fly and it’s events like this that make all the difference in helping us realise our vision.”
Mr Arkless who tabled an Early Day Motion in November calling on the UK Government to recognise the important work of the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust, said that “a restored Moat Brae had the potential to make a very real difference to the whole of Dumfries”.
Mr Arkless continued, “For me, it’s not only about preserving an historic building and the original Neverland – I see this as an enormous economic opportunity for Dumfries – Moat Brae sits literally at one end of a struggling high street in Dumfries. The high street needs help, it needs more people to visit and a restored Moat Brae House with a chance to visit the real Neverland would give Dumfries a truly unique visitor attraction. With visitor numbers projected at over 40, 000 per year from outside the region this project has the potential to be transformation for a very special part of the world. I have been delighted to do my small bit in helping make it a reality.”
