July 2005
Young people in Northampton and Corby are set to discover the sporting triumphs of Northamptonshire’s Black people and their contribution to British society through a project supported by a new Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £24,000 and backed by Northampton Town Football Club.
The funds, made available to the national award-winning Northamptonshire Black History Project, support the ‘Race 2 Score’ project whose partners include Northamptonshire Racial Equality Council, Northampton Town Football Club and a number of the County’s schools. The project combines football, drama and the county’s hidden histories to explore and tackle a range of social issues.
105 young people from The Duston School, Unity College, Kingsthorpe Community College and excluded students in Corby will research the county’s local history and explore issues of racism, identity and exclusion. Walter Tull, who played for the Cobblers between 1910 and 1914, fought in the First World War and became the first Black officer in the British army, will be one of a number inspirational Black figures that will be examined by the students.
The project will be directly managed by the young people, creating their own research activities, debating issues raised and developing personal skills, even taking part in football coaching led by FA qualified community coaches from Northampton Town Football Club. A live performance based on these experiences and work will provide a fitting finale and an opportunity to publicly highlight the results of their fascinating work.
The archives of the Northamptonshire Black History Project, local museums and exhibitions will be used alongside a visit to the Imperial War Museum to help participants develop an understanding of the contributions of Black people to the development of British society and address issues that affect people today.
Sheila Stone, HLF Regional Manager for the East Midlands said: “It is great to see another fantastic heritage project develop in Northamptonshire. Race to Score will allow young people build a better understanding of our history, revealing Walter Tull’s story as a little known but very important figure in the county’s previously hidden Black history.
“Northampton and Corby are priority areas for HLF funding and it is a great encouragement to see how heritage continues to be so important. Anyone interested in funding for a project should get in contact with the East Midlands Development Team.”
The Northamptonshire Black History Project was established with a £365,000 grant from HLF to record the stories and contribution of people of Asian, African and Caribbean origins to Northampton.
Carolyn Abel, Director of the Northamptonshire Black History Project added: “ ‘Race 2 Score’ builds on previous successful partnership work with Northampton Town Football Club, local schools and young people. This funding enables us to take this to a new level and bring about a greater understanding of the county’s Black history whilst addressing issues of prejudice and racism in a positive and creative environment with young people from a range of backgrounds.”
Brian Binley MP, Northampton South commented: "Northamptonshire has a very proud history in this area, and hopefully this project will do more to help build on that. There will be some serious issues raised and discussed, and I hope one of the many benefits of this project will be a greater understanding all round.
"I wish the Northamptonshire Black History Project every success, and it has my full support."
Phil Hope, MP for Corby said: “This is great news for the young people in Corby who will have the chance to learn and play at the same time. This project will also give them invaluable experience of our local history and let them learn more about Corby and the County these days.”