Your Heritage & Young Roots Projects
Bradford’s Lost Ancient Woodland
Applicant: Bradford Environmental Action Trust
Location: Bradford
Training,
Grant awarded: £8,000
Stationary,
Grant programme: Your Heritage
Project costs allocated for;
Expert Advice, Staff Costs,
Travel, Materials, Overheads,
Contingency
Heritage area: Environment/Archives
Ancient Woodland is listed as a national priority habitat but the Inventory of West Yorkshires Ancient
Woodlands is limited to woodlands of more than 2ha+. This means that woodland of less than 2ha
has not been surveyed and documented and cannot be afforded the same protection by local
legislation. This project has addressed this gap by identifying sites of less than 2ha that have not yet
been recorded. Over 30 Volunteers were recruited and trained to enable them to undertake desk top
& site surveys and practical woodland management which enabled them to help create interpretation
panels and input into management plans. Their involvement helped promote a greater sense of
pride and ownership of the woodlands. A booklet and website were created as a lasting educational
resource.
Brompton Linen Workers Memorial Project
Applicant: Brompton Heritage Group
Location: Richmondshire
Grant awarded: £6,700
Grant programme: Your Heritage
Heritage area: Local History/Archives
Project costs allocated for;
Professional Fees, Interpretation Boards,
Equipment & Materials
Brompton Heritage Group were awarded a grant of £6,700 to promote the heritage of Brompton
Village. The linen industry was a large part of Brompton village life, employing over 300 workers in
two mills and was responsible for the expansion of the village from the mid 19th century; the village
was the location of the Battle of the Standard in 1138 AD. The group worked with a local school to
research local history and design three interpretation boards to place around the village. They were
also involved in the construction of flax flower beds, using the bricks of the old linen mills to capture
and promote awareness of the mills with local children. In addition to this the group ran a series of
workshops and presentations focusing on local history, in particular the effects of the growth and
decline of the linen industry on the local community.
Turning Pages
Applicant: The Paper Birds Theatre Company
Location: Leeds
Materials,
Grant awarded: £4,200
Grant programme: Young Roots
Heritage area: Oral History
Project costs allocated for;
Professional Fees, Equipment &
Education Pack, Room Hire
The Paper Birds Theatre Company were awarded a grant of £4,200 to carry out a nine week
intergenerational project focusing on the grade II listed Leeds Central Library . Twenty young people
were trained in oral history and research skills to enable them to interview members of the library’s
Older People’s Forum and carry out research on local history. They created an education pack and
DVD to interpret their findings. The project resulted in a public performance to showcase their work.
150th Anniversary of Hedon Town Improvement Act
Applicant: Hedon Museum Society
Location: East RIding
&
Grant awarded: £9,300
Grant programme: Your Heritage
Heritage area: Archives
Projects costs allocated for;
Education consultant, Equipment
Materials, Interpretation Materials
Publicity
The Hedon Museum Society were awarded a grant of £9,300 to create an exhibition and series of
events to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the passing of the Hedon Town Improvement act.
The town of Hedon was declared a “rotten borough” under the Reform Act of 1832 and prior to the
Improvement Act being passed in 1860, only freeman were eligible to vote. The Hedon Reformers,
including William Watson, fought for changes and in 1860 successfully petitioned Parliament to
change the way the town was governed.
Volunteers carried out research in to the history of the Act through local archives and produced
display panels and booklets for the exhibition. The project created volunteering opportunities for the
local community including young people, and encouraged them to become involved in and learn
about the heritage of town by participating in the anniversary events.