Find out how local residents and groups can join in activities and projects connected to the Wall.
See what people have done - download our Community Newsletter below.
Join In
As Hadrian's Wall crosses from the East coast to the West coast
it runs through magnificent countryside and historic towns and villages.
These who live in this diverse area can access and use Hadrians Wall from
a wide range of activities and projects. Any can join and take advantage of this.
- Elderly groups
- After school and holiday clubs
- Youth clubs
- Rainbow, Brownies, Scouts and Guides
- Health Promoting groups
- Residents groups
- Groups of villagers
Funding
How to get Funding
There are avenues of funding which groups may pursue to enable
them to undertake projects connected to Hadrian's Wall.
More funding is available to groups that have a constitution.
Forming a Constitution
When an informal group come together and decide they wish to
apply for grants and have a definite voice and centre they
will need to have a constitution.
This is a legal document that clearly states;
- What the groups aims are
- How you intend to achieve your aims
- Who you are accountable to
As soon as your group begins to handle money, hire meeting places,
or apply for grants you will need to have a constitution.
Indeed with many grant giving bodies one of the conditions is
that your group must have a constitution before they will
consider your application.
What is in a Constitution?
- Your groups name
- Your groups aims
- How you will carry out your aims
- Who your group benefits
- Details about the management board ; who will manage finance, meetings etc.
- Dissolution - what the procedure is if your group disbands
For a model constitution contact the Charity Commission at : -
Local Heritage Initiative Grant
Administered by the Countryside Agency it is available
to groups who are intending to undertake a heritage project
with a lot of community involvement. Grants are available of
up to £25,000 to realise projects. For full details log on to:-
Awards for All
This is a Lottery funded programme aimed at local groups and
offers grants of between £500 and £5,000. There are four
areas Support Community Activity, extend access and participation,
increase skill and creativity and improve Quality of Life.
For full details telephone 0845 600 2040 or log on to:-
North East Office
North West Office
Things You Can Do
Heritage Project
Collect photographs, press cuttings, artefacts, memories from members in community.
Oral History Project
Make a valuable collection of things that have occurred within peoples living memory by making sound recordings of them.
Annual Festival
Your community could organise its own annual Roman Festival or re-create a traditional festival such as a May Day Festival such as a May Day Carnival. This becomes an enjoyable event for those living locally and also an attraction for visitors which means that it could boost the local economy - even if it's just for one day!
Employ living history practitioners to enliven the festival
For a fee the living history practitioners will provide an educational display lasting a full day or a half day.
| Types of Practitioners |
|
| Roman Re-enactment groups |
Celtic Re-enactment groups |
| Potters |
Weavers and Spinners |
| Musicians |
Story Tellers |
| Artists |
|
Stalls selling local produce
Hadrian's Wall Country Locally Produced goods all come from producers based within 50 miles of the World Heritage Site, most of them from within 10 miles of the Wall. The producers range from artists and crafts people to farmers and cheese makers Products available include t-shirts, pottery, paintings, socks, Northumbrian tartan, handmade toiletries, bread, beer, paintings and much much more.
Hadrian's Wall Locally Produced scheme can be found on:
www.hadrians-wall.org
Heritage Organisations
Heritage Organisations could provide a stand:
- English Heritage
- National Trust
- Countryside Agency
- Durham Archivists
- Northumbrian Dialect Society
- Local History Groups
Employ Local musicians - Northumbrian Piper Fiddle Player
Photography Project
- Document area with group - Use disposable cameras
- Use digital photography
- Display work
- Put images on to web site
Walking Festivals
- Organise a walking festival in your locality using HW as a focal point
- These promote healthy living and at the same time provide opportunities to learn about heritage, conservation, landscape, flora and fauna, geology
- Set up a series of walks
- Use funding to employ a guide
- Produce a leaflet to publicise walks
- Make it an annual event
Arts and Crafts Project
- Form an Art Club
- Organise and art/crafts kids club
- Organise sketching days in your locality
- Take park in the Big Draw an annual nationally organised event the idea of which is to get as many people drawing as possible across the U.K. The Big Draw takes place throughout October each year and has a focus Saturday in the middle of the month. If you register with the Big Draw organisation you get a CD with publicity materials on such as posters, stickers and even certificates for those who take part.
Your art group could organise a session drawing at one of the many sites along Hadrian's Wall.
Roman Evenings
Organise a Roman evening at a local venue the format of which could be a speaker about Roman heritage in your area, a musician and a buffet of Roman style food.
- Venue - Local pub, Village Hall, Community Centre
- Speaker - Archaeologist, Local History Society Person
- Musician - Local folk musician
- Roman Style Buffet - There are several providers in the area.
- Employ Local Caterer
- Use recipes from Roman Cookery books, available from most of the shops at forts along Hadrian's Wall including Arbeia and Segedunum.
Romano - Celtic - Activity Sessions
Hold a session for local children based on the Roman heritage of the area.
- Dress up in costume; ideas in Education Directory
- Employ Crafts Practioners to lead session if funds are available e.g a potter or mosaic maker
- Employ a story teller to enliven the session
Ideas which you can do:
- Paper mosaics
- Objects and jewellery made from self-hardening clay
- Roman costume competition
Roman Parade
- Children dress up as Romans or Celts - images from Education Directory
- Workshops make standards, flags
- Storyteller to start session and end session or to lead a story walk.
- Walk along trace of Hadrian's Wall
Adult Groups
Form the following informal groups to focus your activity
- Heritage and Tourism Group: could be set up by a combination of those interested in local heritage and those providing a service for visitors e.g. café, bed and breakfast, horse riding.
- Local History Group
- Walking Group: an informal group with walks based around locality or further afield - using the Reaching the Wall grant. [link to RtW section in Visits made easy]
- Festival Committee; if you are going to organise a festival this needs a lot of planning at least a year in advance of the event and a committee involving people from different aspects of community life is the best way to do it.
- Cycling Group; use the Hadrian's Wall Tourism Partnership's cycle guides which include 20 do-in-a-day cycle rides along the length of the Wall. Route leaflets are available from Tourist Information Centres in Whitehaven, Carlisle, Haltwhistle, Hexham and Newcastle or by calling the Hadrian's Wall Information Line on 01434 322002
Details of the forthcoming Hadrian's Cycleway can be found at:
www.cycleroutes.org/hadrianscycleway
Children's Groups
- Young Archaeologists - Set up a Young Archaeologists Club, or join an existing one. The club is aimed at 8-16 year olds, for further information contact;
Young Archaeologists Club,
St. Mary's House
66 Bootham
York
YO3O 7BZ
Visit their website: www.britarch.ac.uk/yac
Email: yac@britarch.ac.uk
Tel: 01904 671417
- Wildlife Group - looking at the flora and fauna of the area. Rambles could be organised spotting wild flowers and birds. Reaching the Wall grants would be available for groups who wish to visit a rural location.
-
Saturday Club - Saturday morning club for 7-12 year olds looking at local history, art and craft , nature
- After School Club
As you can see there are many ways in which you can join in and enjoy your local heritage!
