Having a positive impact….

I do believe that history and heritage can be used as a positive asset for today, something to provide learning and enjoyment, escapism and nostalgia, confidence and self-identity… but I do also believe that creating those pathways for people into heritage isn’t as simple as might be thought….it takes skills and tools, understanding and knowledge…and that is what I have developed to enable me to make a positive impact in the sector.

Making it work….

Passion is a starting point but doesn’t in itself produce creative and effective resources for people, audiences or groups. That comes, I believe, from developing a toolkit of skills and knowledge – some generic, some specific to heritage – that help me to produce effective resources on time and to budget.

History for me is.…

History for me is a place where I can find out how people responded to moments in time. It’s where I can understand how our values and beliefs have developed over time; It’s where I can reflect on how landscapes and environments have changed over time.

It is the place where I can hear stories of courage, where I can be inspired by others and captivated by people’s achievements or challenges. That in turn gives me perspective, understanding, empathy for others and confidence to move forward today.

From passion to purpose….

My motivation is quite simple….I want to help people to access history and gain from it themselves.

That may be a school class trying to deepen their understanding of a topic – to find empathy with strangers from the past or to understand changes over time. It may be a community group trying to uncover and understand stories from its past, or it may be a heritage organisation trying to ensure that their visitors get the most from the resource they take care of.