About the Changing Estates Heritage Project

Fernhurst researchers at their community event

Zoe Ganderton

Ditchling researchers at East Sussex Record Office

Zoe Ganderton

Heathfield researchers interview a local resident

Zoe Ganderton

Researching the history of rural social housing

By Zoe Ganderton

Young People and Heritage

Changing Estates is Heritage Lottery Funded project for young people, delivered by Action in rural Sussex.

The theme of the project is around exploring the history of Twentieth Century social housing in rural areas.  The four aims of the project are;

• To develop groups of young people in Heathfield, Ditchling and Fernhurst as historical researchers and support them in researching the living history of Twentieth Century social housing estate in their area
• To involve all sections of the community
• To participate in community events about the project
• To develop a new website to preserve and share the new research

The project began in April 2008 and is due to be completed during the autumn of 2009.

The project has 4 young participants in Heathfield aged 17-18 years.  In Ditchling, we have worked in partnership with DitchlingMuseum, with 10 young people aged 14-15 years.  In Fernhurst, 11 children for Fernhurst Primary School aged 9 - 10 years took part in the project.

During the project every group has learnt about oral history and carried out interviews with local people, worked with archives and selected and edited part of the research for the website.  The Ditchling and Heathfield groups were also able to visit the East Sussex Records Office and learn how to use it.

The Ditchling and Fernhurst groups have also been involved in planning and holding community events for the project.  All three groups have also come into contact with local history groups (such as the Fernhurst Society for example) and with professionals who work county wide, including the Finds Liaison Officer.  This has broadened their understanding of heritage in their local area and of the different skills involved in working in the heritage sector.

In all three areas, the young researchers had the chance to interview people in their local area that they might not usually have the opportunity to.  People with memories to share of the social housing in the area were reached through word of mouth and publicity.  Interviews were carried out at interviewees homes, or as in the case of Ditchling and Fernhurst, the community were invited to a venue to learn more about the project and to give an interview.  In Fernhurst, the young researchers put together an exhibition of their findings thus far at the local youth centre.  Some of the children acted as exhibition guides, whilst others record interviews with visitors.