THE PEOPLES’ HERITAGE CENTRE IN HANDSWORTH: WHY, WHAT, HOW?

Following the successful launch of Lozells and Handsworth Heritage Trail, Legacy WM and its many partners have embarked on a new adventure: to establish a Peoples’ Heritage Centre in the heart of Handsworth.

The Centre will stimulate research and project work into the diverse and shared heritage of the people of Birmingham.

The steering group for this exciting project includes: Legacy WM, Urban Archive CIC, The Kingsway Project, Piers Rd Centre, KPMG, RBS, the History Department of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City Council and South & City College, Birmingham.

They will mount exhibitions, presentations and events; develop and maintain interactive ICT and social media resources; publish learning materials for schools, colleges and other organisations; collate and arrange the storage of archive materials; and provide a base for future heritage projects.

They will work with a diverse range of people, in particular those of school and college age, to show heritage as a living process. Their interest is in the heritage of people and places and the interaction between the two. They will recognise, celebrate and learn from the diversity of all of the people of Birmingham, and work together to develop our common identity with the city.

Making it Happen

To help realise this vision they have been awarded a start-up grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and a Community Grant from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

With these they are undertaking a feasibility study on how the Peoples’ Heritage Centre can be developed and sustained.

As part of this study, they are working with South & City College on plans to site the Peoples’ Heritage Centre in the Old Fire Station on Stafford Road, which is part of its Soho Road campus.

The feasibility phase will also allow them to learn from the experience of similar centres elsewhere; develop a detailed activity plan for the first two years of operation; consult with local communities and other stakeholders so that they can shape and engage with their plans; explore the ways they can use information technology and social media to achieve their aims; develop an effective and accountable organisational structure and governance mechanism; and develop a robust business plan and funding strategy.

They aim to complete this phase by the end of May 2014.

Get Involved!

Want to know more and get involved in making the Peoples’ Heritage Centre happen? Do you have ideas on what the Centre should be doing?

Then contact Aftab Rahman, Director of Legacy WM, at info@legacy-wm.org or call 0121 523 05800121 523 0580.