Diary
Speaking notes – Westfield College ‘Pavilion Past’ project event – 04.03.08
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Committee member David Sekers summed up the project along with the greater role of the HLF. He said: "The project hugely rewarding and really heart warming because it shows that every generation wants to find out about their roots and it is inspiring that the children were so interested in their heritage."
He kindly agreed to share his speaking notes below.
- HLF awarded £8,349 under the Local Heritage Initiative scheme to support Westfield Technology College with the Model Citizens project. The aim of the project was to help schoolchildren with special needs understand history through a contemporary issue which involved investigating and recording the history of a prominent building (the Pavilion) in their town (Weymouth) which was about to be demolished.
- The children worked in partnership with another local Primary school (which does not have special needs) and local volunteers, building links with older community groups such as sheltered housing schemes. The young people carried out research and interviewed local people, capturing memories of those who used the building as well as general thoughts and feelings about it and its place in the town.
- Other buildings of local importance were also explored to highlight their historic significance to the area, and photographic and video records were taken of the pavilion and its surroundings to create an archive. The project culminated in a public exhibition with accompanying leaflet, the DVD which is launched today and a website.
- Training was given to participants in interviewing, using video cameras, editing and production, presentations and exhibition design.
- The Local Heritage Initiative was launched in England in February 2000 as a grant and advice programme to help local groups to investigate, explain and care for their local landmarks, landscape, traditions and culture.
This unique programme - administered by the Countryside Agency, funded by HLF and with additional sponsorship from Nationwide Building Society - awarded over £22 million to more than 1,400 communities over a six and a half year period, and through an award winning website, has created a national archive of local heritage information.
Many aspects of local heritage are in a better state of repair, better understood and cherished as a result of this grant scheme and the HLF, and above all thanks to the energy and commitment of local communities.
- HLF has awarded a massive £4 billion across the UK since 1994, for over 26,000 projects.
- We have given £411 million to 2,700 projects in the South West – that’s equivalent to more than £80 for every man, woman and child in the region.
This includes:-
- £114m for industrial, maritime and transport heritage
- £128m for the conservation of historic buildings and monuments
- £97m for museums and galleries
- £17m for libraries and archives
- £33m for Public Parks
- We support a broad range of heritage projects, including local parks, museums, historic places, cultural traditions and many more.
- All the projects that HLF supports tap into people’s passion for the past – not just to celebrate who we are and where we’ve come from – but also as a root from which to grow and develop.
Congratulations to all involved.
posted by Joe @ 11:16 AM
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