MEET THE TEAM

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY

Gareth is an experienced Grants Director with a decade of work across arts, culture, heritage, and education. He has managed multi-million-pound funding portfolios and supported numerous organisations in shaping their strategies through Theory of Change and developmental practice. Gareth brings a strategic eye to the work of Local History Hub, with a particular interest in how learning about local history can foster a deeper sense of place and community.

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

Matthew is a primary teacher with over ten years of classroom experience and a strong belief in the power of local history to build belonging and curiosity. He founded Local History Hub in 2024 to bridge the gap between schools and heritage, creating a national, teacher-led network rooted in place, community, and inclusive storytelling. Alongside teaching, he leads the development of Hubs across the UK, ensuring the work remains practical, meaningful, and grounded in the realities of school life.

DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM DESIGN

Sarah is an experienced secondary school teacher and Head of History, who is currently a History Subject Development Lead at Teach First. She is passionate about local history, writing the chapter in What is History Teaching, Now? and speaking at national events about its importance and how to embed meaningfully into history education. She brings her curriculum design experience along with her Masters degree in local history to help oversee and shape the Local History Hub curriculum and direction.

DIRECTOR OF INCLUSIVE HERITAGE PRACTICE

Liberty is Head of Learning at the Migration Museum, where she has led the growth of its national education programme since 2017. Under her leadership, the museum now supports thousands of students and hundreds of teachers each year, delivering resources and training in partnership with Multi Academy Trusts, exam boards, and education providers. With a background in the heritage sector and academic training in history and museum studies, Liberty brings a deep commitment to inclusive, place-based storytelling. Her work champions the role of migration in shaping the UK’s past and present.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Alex Fairlamb is a Trust Teaching and Learning Network Lead and a senior leader with responsibility for Teaching and Learning. She is a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE), an Evidence Lead in Education (ELE), and a member of the Historical Association’s Secondary Committee.

A History teacher and doctoral student, Alex is deeply committed to developing diverse and inclusive curricula. She is co-author of The Scaffolding Effect, co-editor of What is History Teaching, Now? (with Rachel Ball), and an OUP textbook author. She also facilitates the NPQLL for Ambition Institute.

X: @lamb_heart_tea
Website: alexfairlamb.com

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Saira is a Schools Content Producer at Historic Royal Palaces and a museum and heritage educator with over eight years’ experience at institutions including the British Library, UCL, and the Natural History Museum. She is also a Trustee of Egham Museum, a local history museum in Surrey.

A former History teacher with fourteen years’ experience in prep and secondary schools, Saira is a passionate advocate for local history, museums, heritage, and lifelong learning. She holds a BA (Hons), MA, and PGCE.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Michael is the Director of Maddison Education Consultancy and a leading specialist in history and heritage education. He serves as Chair of Trustees at the Heritage Education Trust, home of the Sandford Award, Deputy President of the Historical Association, and Project Director of Teaching Korean History Through Amazing Objects.

A former National Lead for History at Ofsted and an award-winning teacher, Michael has spent over three decades promoting excellence in history education across schools, museums, and heritage organisations in the UK and internationally. He is deeply committed to helping young people connect with the past through engaging, inclusive, and well-taught history.

NATIONAL HERITAGE ADVISOR: ENGLAND

Marie is a heritage professional and archaeologist based in North Yorkshire, with a passion for making the past accessible, engaging, and relevant to everyone. With over a decade of experience in the heritage sector, she specialises in museum management, heritage learning, archaeological consultancy, and community-led projects.

NATIONAL EDUCATION ADVISOR: ENGLAND

Glenn is a primary school teacher and history specialist based in the North East of England. A Fellow of the Historical Association, he sits on the HA’s Primary Committee and works as an Associate Specialist Adviser for Primary History with Education Durham. Glenn runs History Rocks, a website dedicated to supporting teachers with creative, curriculum-aligned history resources, and has worked nationally and internationally with a range of educational publishers and training providers. He is passionate about helping schools deliver engaging, inclusive history that connects local stories with the wider world.

REGIONAL HERITAGE ADVISOR: SOUTH WALES

Charlotte is passionate about lifelong learning and using collections for meaningful engagement. Charlotte currently works as Education and Interpretation Officer for Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery, and as a GEM Cymru Rep.

When Charlotte is not at work, you will find her walking the Beacons with the dog or on a holiday.

REGIONAL HERITAGE ADVISOR: NORTH WEST ENGLAND

Alys is an Outreach and Engagement Officer at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery, helping people connect with the stories and heritage of the area. She works closely with schools on place-based learning and supports ongoing projects with a variety of people – from National Saturday Club to our own Creatives of Blackburn.

Alys loves a good chat, especially when it’s about the local stories that make people proud of where they live!

As well as being a Regional Heritage Advisor Alys is also Community Lead for our Blackburn with Darwen hub.

REGIONAL HERITAGE ADVISOR: NORTH EAST ENGLAND

Jenny Wilkie is Creative Learning Support Officer for Tees Valley Museums. A qualified teacher with over 20 years’ experience in heritage education, she began her career in landscape heritage and archaeology at Summerhill in Hartlepool before joining the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum as Education Officer.

Jenny supports learning teams across the region to deliver inspiring, place-based experiences for children. She is passionate about using museum collections to tell local stories and help every child develop pride in where they live.

REGIONAL HERITAGE ADVISOR: NORTH EAST ENGLAND

Grace Redpath is Learning Manager at the independent museum Land of Iron in Skiningrove on the North Yorkshire coast. With an MA in Curating Collections and Heritage from the University of Brighton, she is currently a PhD candidate in the Archaeology department at Durham University.

Interested in democratising archival collections and intangible heritage, her previous work includes acting as Assistant Curator at Redcar Palace, and cataloguing Teesside Archives Teesworks Collection.