3rd October 2006
Members of the UK Youth Parliament will lead the way in discovering what the identity of the East Midlands means to young people in the region, thanks to a £25,000 award from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) it was announced today. The project ‘Not North, Not South – What are we?’ is expected to involve more than 450 young people and provide a snapshot of their thoughts on how heritage has shaped the identity in the East Midlands.
Topics such as exploring the heritage of Skegness through music in Lincolnshire, the The Derwent Mills World Heritage site of Derbyshire and Derby City to the Goose Fair in Nottingham are set to be explored by different groups focussing on the heritage of their own local area.
The Members of Youth Parliament will lead the groups in Derby, Nottingham, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, forming the five projects.
Debs McCahon of HLF explained :” The East Midlands is one of the most diverse regions in the country, for young people this means living, working and playing with others from many different backgrounds with different traditions. Exploring some of these different traditions and pulling this work together regionally will give us a picture of what young people in the East Midlands really feel is their heritage and identity.”
She added: “The project is unique in that it is the first HLF funded Young Roots scheme which crosses boundaries to take an overview of the whole region and not just one smaller area. We are really looking forward to finding out the results.” Members of the UK Youth Parliament are aged between 11 and 18 and they will be supported in running the project by youth workers. They will use music, drama, film and photography to explore their topics.
Fred Rennie of the East Midlands Regional Youth Work Unit said: “We hope to bring together a wide variety of young people in the region and encourage them to see what a rich and diverse heritage there is in the East Midlands. “
Chris Birks, MYP for Derbyshire said: “ I am really looking forward to discovering the history and the interesting facts of the Derwent Valley Mills. I live near it but have never really taken the time to learn more about such a beautiful part of the world which is actually on my doorstep. Getting involved with a project like this can only be a good thing. Raising awareness about this World Heritage Site and its long and interesting history is an exciting prospect, one which we will hopefully be able to share with other young people who want to learn more about this traditional and beautiful part of Derbyshire.”