A group of young people from East Staffordshire are to take part in a new Olympic themed heritage project to research and record the history of sports and games in the UK during the last 60 years. Thanks to a £20,100 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant awarded to ESCVS and Voluntary Services, 15 young people will plan, manage and deliver an intergenerational oral history project to explore the cultural and social heritage of sport and games.
The young people aged between 16 and 25 will record people’s personal memories and experiences of the last Olympic games, which were held in the UK in 1948, as well as exploring the traditional sport and games played and enjoyed by different cultural and ethnic groups. The group will examine how these games have changed and developed over the period due to changing social attitudes, dress styles and codes, advances in equipment and performance and altering rules.
The participants will receive training and support from local organisations to help them plan and manage the project. Working in partnership with Staffordshire Record Office, the young people will develop a host of new technical and social skills including learning how to collect, record, catalogue and store oral histories and conduct historical research. They will also receive training in presentation skills and filming techniques, such as production and design, to enable them to produce a DVD and information leaflets which will be distributed to local schools to share this heritage with wider audiences. They will be involved in the organisation of a county wide Community Games Event in 2012 to coincide with the Olympic Torch being carried through Staffordshire in June. During the Community Games they will have the opportunity to showcase the project findings and their newly acquired skills. The project will culminate in a celebration awards evening for all those involved in the project.
In addition to developing a range of new skills, the young people will have the opportunity to work towards achieving a Level Two certificate in Community Volunteering which is accredited by the social development and educational charity, ASDAN.
Funding for the project was awarded through the HLF Young Roots programme, which is designed specifically to encourage young people aged between 16-25 to develop, manage and take the lead in heritage projects that are of interest to them. This Project has already been awarded the 2012 inspire mark.
Neil Onions Manger at East Staffordshire Community & Voluntary Service Volunteer Centre said “We are so pleased to have been awarded the young roots funding, I feel this project will give the young people of East Staffordshire a chance to be involved in a community project that will be led by them, designed by them”
He continued…
“I am passionate about young people being given opportunities to activity participant in their own communities, and this project will ensure just that. Not only will they learn valuable skills and knowledge but they can leave a legacy of their own linked to the 2012 Olympics, shaping today and creating tomorrow’s heritage.”
Anyone interested should contact Neil or Jackie at ESCVS.
Tel: 01283 543414
Email: neil@escvs.org.uk or jackie@escvs.org.uk