Sharing Heritage: Learning-disabled people from Rowan celebrate grant award from Heritage Lottery Fund.

Sharing Heritage: Learning-disabled people from Rowan celebrate grant award from Heritage Lottery Fund

We are delighted to announce that Rowan has been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Sharing Heritage grant.

Our project will focus on the heritage of the River Cam in Cambridge. A group of our learning-disabled students will explore the history of the river, learning about its rich heritage with other members of the community.

This is the first heritage project students at Rowan have ever taken part in and the first project where we are involving so many members of the local community in our work at Rowan.

Working closely with river conservators, historians, museum, library and archive specialists they will be learning about it’s river people and communities, what the river has been used for and why, learning about the history of various events that have happened throughout time in various sections of the river in Cambridge.

Students will learn new skills, including learning how to find and source archival material and information, to research and develop their interests. Students will be given behind the scenes access to artifacts and objects, buildings and boats, working with highly skilled staff that will enable them to have an enjoyable experience, and change the way they think about their local environment. Students will be trained on interviewing techniques and oral history recording and will be interviewing the members of the local and river community.

Rowan will be developing a new group of volunteers to support the development of this project. These new relationships will support Rowan’s continued ambition of breaking down barriers of social exclusion that learning-disabled people encounter. The students will work alongside volunteers, members of the local community and heritage specialists who will support their engagement with heritage.

If you would like more information on how to become a volunteer please contact Rowan on 01223 566027 or email Abi Moore abi@rowanhumberstone.co.uk or click on the link here to download an application form and find out more. 

To download the press release, click on the link below. For images and further information about this project please contact Bridget Cusack, 01223 566027 or email bridget@rowanhumberstone.co.uk

2016 Rowan River Heritage Press Release 210316