A HERITAGE centre run by volunteers dedicated to keeping Warrington’s military history alive has received a boost.

The Amazon delivery station at Omega, which is built on the former Burtonwood Airbase, has made a £1,000 donation to the local RAF history centre.

The donation was made to RAF Burtonwood Association Heritage Centre, which is located at Gulliver’s World, again on part of the former airbase.

Volunteers who run the centre treat visitors to various exhibitions including The Living History of Burtonwood, Planes of RAF Burtonwood, and The GI Brides.

During the Second World War, the airbase was the biggest in Europe, responsible for the handling of more than 15,000 aircraft of the United States Air Forces.

The fact that Amazon Warrington sits on land formerly occupied by the airbase inspired the team to make the donation, with the money going towards upgrading the centre’s IT equipment.

To celebrate the donation, a team from Amazon visited the heritage centre to learn about the men and women who served at the base, through exhibitions and military memorabilia.

During the visit, the Amazon team met with a US veteran and former RAF Burtonwood commanding officer and squadron leader John Tisbury, who previously lived at the airbase.

Members of the Amazon Warrington team visit RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre

Members of the Amazon Warrington team visit RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre

Simon Magee, delivery station manager at Amazon Warrington, said: “We are pleased to support RAF Burtonwood Association Heritage Centre with this donation.

“We share an element of history with our delivery station situated on the former airbase, and it is great to lend a helping hand to the staff and volunteers, ensuring the stories of the veterans are shared for years to come.”

Jenifer Siebert, a change manager at Amazon Warrington, was the one who nominated the charity for the donation.

He commented: “It is great that Amazon has made this donation to the team at RAF Burtonwood Association Heritage Centre.

“It was lovely to meet John Tisbury and learn about his time as commanding officer at the airbase, and the exhibitions were fantastic. I learned a lot during the visit.”

John Cotterill, the heritage centre’s manager, added: “Thank you to Simon and the team at Amazon Warrington for this support.

“At Burtonwood Association, we aim to uphold the memory of those who served at RAF Burtonwood and preserve this history for further generations.

“We enjoyed having the Amazon team visit us and the support is appreciated.”