If you’d be interested in developing projects which encourage young people to take pride in their heritage, and to help conserve the culture and landscape of the area, we urgently need more volunteers to join the Trust’s Heritage Education and Development Group. You’ll be working with schools and youth groups to prepare quizzes, dialect tasks and creative writing assignments, supporting script-writing and film-making on subjects such as industrial heritage and local characters like Tommy Armstrong, Geordie Ridley and Harry Clasper, and preparing Heritage Orienteering trails. Plans for future projects include proggy mat-making and bell-ringing, and we’re open to more ideas!
If the production of books and leaflets is of interest to you, and you have skills in desktop publishing or proof-reading, you might like to join our Publications Group. They began by making an inventory of the published works related to the history and culture of the Land of Oak & Iron: this formed the basis of the Local History Portal. Three seminal works were out-of-print, so the volunteers obtained permission from the copyright-holders to create attractive new paperback editions for modern audiences. In the future, we hope to publish more titles of all kinds, not only by bringing rare books back to life, but also by publishing original work, possibly creating content ourselves.
Research Group volunteers work in teams to research and create thematic maps of topics such as waggonways and mills. The ultimate aim is to provide information to help local people and visitors explore the Land of Oak & Iron, and enhance their understanding and enjoyment of its natural and industrial history. If you’d be interested in getting involved with this, please get in touch.”
