LAUNCH A LOCAL HISTORY HUB

Every community has stories worth telling, but connecting schools with the people, places and organisations that can help tell them isn't always easy.

Local History Hubs create opportunities for teachers, heritage organisations and community partners to meet, build relationships and explore what local history could look like in their area.

Our long-term ambition is for every teacher in the UK to have access to a local hub, wherever they teach.

Hubs are free to join, locally shaped and designed to grow at a manageable pace.

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Anyone with an interest in local history, education and community connections can help get a hub started.

Our hubs are teacher-led, with Schools Hub Leads and Community Hub Leads working together wherever possible. Teachers and heritage professionals are particularly well placed to take on these roles, but you don't need to work in either sector to express an interest.

Multi-Academy Trusts and local authorities can also play an important role in helping hubs get established. This might involve bringing schools together, identifying potential Hub Leads, sharing communications or helping make connections with local partners.

You don't need to have everything in place before getting in touch. Sometimes all it takes is one person willing to start the conversation.

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Our Hub Leads are volunteers who help bring their local networks together.

The commitment is deliberately manageable. Hub Leads typically organise three meetings across the academic year and help keep members informed about local opportunities, developments and activities.

Schools Hub Leads focus on connecting teachers and supporting curriculum links, while Community Hub Leads help build relationships with heritage organisations and community partners.

Where possible, these responsibilities are shared between Hub Leads, with support from the wider Local History Hub network.

There's no expectation to become an expert in local history or take on a huge additional workload. The aim is to create something useful, collaborative and sustainable.

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Become a Hub Lead →
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There's no set size or geographical boundary for a Local History Hub.

Some hubs bring together more than 50 members across a city, county or wider region. Others begin with just two or three people working within a small cluster of schools or even a single postcode.

What matters isn't the size of the hub, but the opportunities it creates for meaningful connections and collaboration.

Hubs can grow naturally over time, and their geographical boundaries can evolve as new schools and organisations become involved.

We want the network to reflect the diversity of places and communities across the UK, from major cities to smaller towns and rural areas.

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The first year is about getting established, building relationships and exploring what's already happening locally.

Hubs meet three times across the academic year, with an initial focus on Local History Day. This provides a shared opportunity for schools and heritage organisations to celebrate their local area and try something manageable together.

In the second year, the focus develops towards curriculum planning, helping schools make more meaningful and sustained use of local history within their teaching.

There's no expectation to transform everything overnight. We believe in small, sustainable changes that respond to what teachers and local partners actually need.

Every hub will develop differently, shaped by the people and communities involved.

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Local History Day →
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You won't be starting from scratch or doing everything alone.

Local History Hub provides practical support to help new hubs get established and develop over time.

This includes help with networking, communications, planning meetings, connecting with schools and heritage organisations, and sharing ideas and resources from across the wider network.

We also offer information sessions, Hub Lead induction, regular opportunities to connect with other Hub Leads and ongoing guidance as your hub develops.

Our role is to make it easier for volunteers to bring people together, while ensuring that hubs remain locally led and responsive to their communities.

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Hub Lead Information →
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Join a Hub Lead Information Session →

DO I NEED TO BE A TEACHER OR HERITAGE PROFESSIONAL?

We strongly encourage teachers and heritage professionals to take on Hub Lead roles. Their understanding of schools, the curriculum, local heritage and community engagement makes them particularly well placed to develop meaningful partnerships.

However, you don't need to be a local history expert or have previous experience of running a network.

We also welcome interest from people outside education and heritage. You may have experience, skills or connections that translate well to leading a hub. If you're interested, we'd be very happy to have a conversation!

HOW MUCH TIME DOES LEADING A HUB TAKE?

The role is designed to be manageable alongside your existing commitments. Hub Leads typically coordinate three meetings each academic year, keep members informed and help build local connections.

There's no expectation to do everything yourself. Our emphasis is on small, sustainable changes that make a meaningful difference over time.

DO I NEED A CO-LEAD?

No. While we encourage hubs to have both a Schools Lead and Community Lead wherever possible, every hub is different.

Some are led by one person, while others have co-leads or wider leadership teams. What matters is finding an approach that works for your local community.

WILL I NEED TO CREATE RESOURCES OR ORGANISE EVENTS?

Not necessarily! The greatest value of a Local History Hub is the relationships it builds and sustains.

Resources, visits, projects and events may develop naturally through collaboration, but Hub Leads aren't expected to create teaching materials or organise large events themselves.

The first year focuses on building connections, holding purposeful meetings and supporting participation in Local History Day.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL I RECEIVE?

Local History Hub provides practical guidance, meeting templates, communications support and help connecting with schools, heritage organisations and community partners.

You'll also have access to our Hub Lead Resource Portal, regular opportunities to connect with other Hub Leads and ongoing support from the national network.

You won't be starting from scratch or expected to work alone.

WHAT IF MY CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE?

We understand that work and life can change. If you move area, change jobs or can no longer continue as a Hub Lead, just let us know.

We'll work with you to explore the options, whether that's continuing in a different capacity, joining another hub or identifying someone else who can help sustain your local network.