MANCHESTER COMMUNITY HISTORIES AWARDS 2016
COMMUNITY & SCHOOLS APPLICATIONS
GUIDANCE NOTES
Manchester Histories is delighted to offer awards for school and community histories
projects again in 2016. The awards give public recognition for the excellent work that is
being done by community groups and schools to uncover, celebrate and preserve
Greater Manchester’s histories and heritage.
We would like to invite applications from schools and community groups/organisations that have
explored and celebrated a topic, community, event or place from Greater Manchester’s histories
and heritage. Winning entries will be selected by a panel of judges.
Awards will be offered in two categories:
Best Community Histories Award
£750 prize and a commemorative trophy
2 x Judges recommended prizes of £250
each
Best School Histories Award
£750 prize and a commemorative trophy
2 x Judges recommended prizes of £250
each
AWARDS CRITERIA
Your application will be judged on the following criteria:
You must be an existing not-for-profit organisation, group or school from Greater Manchester.
Your project must have taken place in Greater Manchester and be based on an element of its histories
or heritage. The primary activity must have taken place between 1 January 2014 and 31 December
2015.
The project must have provided clear benefits to your organisation, school and/or the wider community.
This might include gaining new knowledge; providing volunteering opportunities and skills development;
producing a publication or film that can explore an element of your local histories; sharing experiences
about histories between generations; or revealing a hidden element of Greater Manchester’s histories
and heritage.
You need to be able to tell us what you wanted to achieve through your project and explain if this was
successful once it was finished. It is ok if things didn’t go quite the way you planned, but please tell us
what you learnt from this and how the project may have changed from your initial plans.
What the judges are really keen to see are projects that tackle new stories and explore histories and
heritage in different ways, for example using drama or digital media. Incorporating learning and the
sharing of stories across ages and backgrounds is also important. Previous winners have come from
different types of organisations and schools, and have delivered very varied projects. You can see
information about past winners on our website and we strongly advise you to look at the past winners. If
you have any questions about the suitability of your activity, please do not hesitate to contact us
to discuss your project on 0161 306 1982.
You need to be happy to share the knowledge and learning from your project with other groups,
organisations and schools through our website and social media networks. This will help others to
understand what can be achieved through such projects, and how they might go about setting up their
own.
The Awards are open to projects which have obtained both external project funding, such as the
Heritage Lottery Fund, and those that have not been supported by outside bodies and funded the project
themselves.
APPLICATION DEADLINES
The closing date to receive applications is 5pm on Friday 29 January 2016. Applications received after
this deadline cannot be considered. All applications must be signed so please ensure that this is done
before you return your application.
Please email a copy of your application to info@manchesterhistories.co.uk or post it to:
Claire Turner
Manchester Community Histories Awards
Manchester Histories
WLG4, Samuel Alexander Building
Manchester M13 9PL
Supporting evidence, such as photographs or publications, can be emailed or posted, but please do not
send more than three items per application. If you are posting such items separately from an emailed
application form, please ensure that it is clearly marked so that it can be linked to your application form.
We will only return items if you specifically request it.
SHORTLISTING AND FINAL AWARDS CEREMONY
Applications will be shortlisted by a Panel of Judges. You will be notified if you have been shortlisted by
Friday 12 February. This will be by email to the community group/school person identified on the
application form. Shortlisted applicants must be available to attend the final Awards ceremony in
Manchester Town Hall from 2.00 – 3.30pm on Friday 11 March 2016.
MANCHESTER COMMUNITY HISTORIES AWARDS TIMESCALE
Applications open
Friday 30 October 2015
Applications close
5pm, Friday 29 January 2016
Applicants notified if shortlisted
W/C Monday 8 February 2016
Final Awards ceremony
Friday 11 March 2016
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about the Awards, please contact the Manchester Histories office on 0161 306
1982 or email info@manchesterhistories.co.uk. We look forward to receiving your application and wish
you the best of luck.
MANCHESTER HISTORIES AWARDS 2016
APPLICATION FORM
Please read the guidance notes before applying
Applicant details
Are you applying in the
school or community
category?
The person named here will be the primary point of contact for all communication
Full name
Position in organisation
(if applicable)
Organisation name
(if applicable)
Address (inc. postcode)
Telephone
Mobile
Email
Website
Tell us about your project (up to 200 words per section)
What is the name of your project?
How did your project help your organisation/school to explore and learn about Greater
Manchester’s histories and heritage?
What did you hope to achieve at the end of your project, and did you meet your goals? (This
could be a greater knowledge of a particular time in Manchester’s histories; or involving more
people in exploring a particular element of local histories; or to learn how to run oral histories
projects, as examples).
Please tell us about the benefits that the project provided for both your own organisation or
school and/or the wider community. (These benefits could be gaining new skills, making links
between generations, building a sense of local pride or building new relationships with a local
community, for example).
Did you produce any items during your project, for example a website, collection of
photographs or a film. Please provide details of these below and include evidence of these with
your application, through online links or hard copies.
Please tell us how you would use the money if you won an Award?
PLEASE NOTE, shortlisted applicants will be required to attend the Awards Ceremony in
Manchester Town Hall on Friday 11 March 2016 from 2.00pm – 3.30pm.
You will be able to bring pupils from your school and members from your community to attend
the ceremony.
I certify that the information contained in this application form is accurate to the best of my
knowledge.
Name (please print name)
Signature
Position
Date
Please return a signed copy of your application to Manchester Histories by 5pm on Friday 29
January 2016.
Please either email your application, with electronic signature, to info@manchesterhistories.co.uk or post
it to:
Claire Turner
Manchester Histories
WLG4, Samuel Alexander Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
Applications received after this time will not be considered.
The Community Histories Award is supported by
The School Histories Award is supported by