Jodrell Bank will open its doors for free in the run up to Christmas.

Anyone who has ever played the National Lottery will be able to visit the discovery centre free of charge.

It is part of a nation-wide campaign to show the impact of Lottery funding, and will be one of 350 venues supported by the Heritage Fund to offer free admission between Monday, December 11 and Sunday, December 17.

Lorna Harper, deputy director of Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, said: “Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, we’ve been able to do begin work on this exciting new development for Jodrell Bank.

“While we’re still in the early stages of the project, this is a great opportunity for us to say thank you to those people who have helped fund it.”

As well as free entry to the Discovery Centre, visitors can enjoy garden tours, science shows and drop-in craft activities running throughout the week.

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre was recently awarded £12m from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support its First Light Project, and Macclesfield MP David Rutley successfully campaigned to get a further £4m of government funding for the project, which was announced in the recent Autumn Budget, on Wednesday, November 22.

The centre was also chosen as Britain’s nomination to UNESCO as a World Heritage site earlier this year.

If successful, the site could join the Taj Mahal and Stonehenge on the international stage.

To book your free ticket visit www.jodrellbank.net/thankstoyou