A unique and innovative project that aims to record and promote the histories and stories of Northamptonshire’s Black communities and individuals over at least the past 500 years has won the coveted 2005 CILIP/LiS Libraries Change Lives Award. The winner was announced today by poet and writer Benjamin Zephaniah at the Library + information Show (LiS), The Pavilion, NEC, Birmingham.

The Northamptonshire Black History Project, a community-led, initiative aims to document and acknowledge the presence and contribution of people of Asian, African and Caribbean origins, a contribution that has been little documented and recorded. The tangible achievements of the project include: 660 references stretching from the 12th century to the present day; creating an oral history archive of over 185 interviews; collecting the archival records of 11 Black community organisations; producing newsletters and publications; encouraging innovative learning for young people by bringing Black history alive in the classroom, eg. 20 schools visited in partnership with Northampton Town Football Club as part of Football Racism and Cultural Heritage project, sharing stories of Black Historical Figures.

Carolyn Abel, the director of Northamptonshire’s Black History Project says of winning the award, “We are thrilled to receive this accolade for our community-led and community-inspired initiative. It is not often that grass-root organisations like ours, particularly Black groups, receive awards for excellent work, often undertaken in a voluntary capacity. It just shows what a common passion can do for bringing people together. We fully acknowledge the partnership involvement of agencies like Northamptonshire Libraries and Information Service and the Record Office, as well as the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Black groups that have played a significant role in creating and developing such a fantastic project.”

Anjona Roy, Chief Executive of Northamptonshire Racial Equality Council commented that: “Northamptonshire Racial Equality Council has been privileged to be the lead body for the Northamptonshire Black History Project. Getting the project off the ground took a lot of hard work from a variety of agencies and local people. The work done by the Project has consolidated and highlighted the contribution of Northamptonshire’s Black communities in a way that we can all share and own.”

Nigel Thomas, Chair of the judges comments on this year’s winner, "This project is a fantastic example of how libraries can partner community-led initiatives and serves as a model which can be replicated in libraries across the country. Northamptonshire’s Black History Project is proving how vision and commitment has changed and enhanced the lives of individuals whose history has been forgotten and unacknowledged for years.”

This is the 13th year of the national award that recognises innovative and exciting work in libraries and their communities. The award was established in 1992 to acknowledge and reward libraries and information services working with disadvantaged groups to combat inequality, including the unemployed, homeless, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities

Since its inception, the award has had a significant impact on the world of library and information services. Previous winners include the Big Book Share, an innovative reading project with men in prisons, and the Bookstart scheme which has been recognised as making a significant difference to literacy and numeracy levels in primary schools and is now funded by the Government.

The winning project receives a trophy and £4,000 prize money. The two runners-up both receive a cheque for £1,000.

The Library + information Show (LiS) takes place at the NEC Birmingham on 20 and 21 April 2005. Now in its 16th year, it caters for all sectors of the library profession, bringing the library and information world together to share key industry developments, the latest technology, exchange ideas and debate current issues. For the first time this year LiS will run alongside MUREX, the UK’s national museum and heritage event. For more information please visit:

Background
The Northamptonshire Black History Project is a unique and innovative community-led project that aims to record and promote the histories and stories of Northamptonshire’s Black communities and individuals over at least the past 500 years. The project aims to document and acknowledge the presence and contribution of people of Asian, African and Caribbean origins, a contribution that has been little documented and recorded.

In the 1980’s an informal group began to research the Black presence in Northamptonshire. By 1998 it became clear that the stories of the Black presence past and present that were being uncovered had a great potential to develop new audiences for local and national heritage.

Northamptonshire Racial Equality Council, the lead agency for the project, invited groups and individuals to get involved and together they developed a three year project that secured significant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Home Office and other grant-making bodies. They brought in other partners that included community groups such as Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Kettering, Wellingborough Black Consortium and Ghana Union, as well as Northamptonshire Libraries and Information Service, Northamptonshire Record Office, University College Northampton and Northampton Museums and Art Gallery.

The project’s vision is to bring together three distinct activities, historical research, community archiving and oral history interviews and to involve people from a range of communities and age-groups in collating their hidden histories. The project has also been working to challenge people to work and think differently and encouraging people across the communities to share their skills and experiences.

The achievements of the project include: 660 references stretching from the 12th century to the present day; creating an oral history archive of over 185 interviews; collecting the archival records of 11 Black community organisations; producing newsletters and publications; encouraging innovative learning for young people by bringing Black history alive in the classroom, eg. 20 schools visited in partnership with Northampton Town Football Club as part of Football Racism and Cultural Heritage project, sharing stories of Black Historical Figures.

This community-led and based project has successfully engaged and involved local communities in its activities; introduced people to the information held within libraries, archives and museums, and developed their skills to use a wide range of resources. Libraries have played an important role in facilitating people’s access to information. This project is attempting to reverse historic discrimination, celebrate cultural diversity and change and enhance the lives of individuals and communities in Northamptonshire.