Leigh Park residents map out their heritage
Residents in Leigh Park are celebrating the end of a threeyear project chronicling the heritage of the housing estate from its early development in the 1940s right up to the present day. Local schools, community groups and members of the public have all contributed to the project, called ‘On The Street Where We Live’.
Launched in 2011 with a £50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project was originated by Lynne Dick, director of the charity craft organisation Making Space - which is based in Leigh Park - and John Griggs, former manager at Leigh Park Community Centre. The idea was to engage local people of all ages in recording their memories, personal stories and experiences of the housing estate to help bring Leigh Park’s history and heritage to life.
The creation of a new large-scale map of the housing estate is one of the biggest legacies of the three-year project. It will be on permanent display at the Dickinson Centre at Park Community School after being on show in a celebration exhibition at Making Space from 17-24 May (11am-5pm), alongside other artwork made over the course of the project.
Director Lynne Dick said: “The generosity of local people has been truly amazing. To explore this urban and social history, and to celebrate this with local people, has been a real privilege for us.â€
Other events during the ‘On The Street Where We Live’ project have included memory roadshows and reminiscence sessions, held in different areas of Leigh Park, at which residents talked about their experiences and swapped stories about living on the estate. Their video tells the story of why the heritage of Leigh Park matters to local people and why they feel happy and proud to live on the estate today. A separate film features interviews with the local heroes and both videos will be available to view online and can also be seen at Making Space, Park Community School or borrowed as part of the memory boxes.