New Appointment: Charlotte Barry, Regional Heritage Advisor for South Wales

We’re thrilled to welcome Charlotte Barry to Local History Hub. As Education and Interpretation Officer at Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery and a GEM Cymru Rep, Charlotte brings a passion for lifelong learning, heritage engagement, and community connections. She’ll be helping us grow our work across South Wales—please join us in giving her a warm welcome!

Local History Hub is partnering with A Day of Welcome to champion inclusive practice in schools. Together we’re helping teachers connect community heritage with national conversations about identity, migration, and belonging, making it easier to access trusted, classroom-ready materials that celebrate welcome and sanctuary.

We’re delighted to welcome Saira MacNicol to the Local History Hub Strategic Board as a Non-Executive Director. With fourteen years as a History teacher and over eight years as a museum and heritage educator at institutions including the British Library, UCL, and Historic Royal Palaces, Saira brings a wealth of expertise in education, heritage, and community engagement.

Local History Hub is proud to be working in partnership with Kimyo, a new platform helping children and young people explore museums, galleries and heritage sites. Together, we’re committed to making heritage more accessible for schools and families, with free, advert-free tools and curriculum-linked resources that inspire curiosity beyond the classroom.

Local History Hub is now a proud member of GEM (Group for Education in Museums), the UK’s leading network for heritage learning. This membership strengthens our commitment to inclusive, place-based education and connects us with a national community dedicated to championing learning in museums and heritage settings.

We’re excited to welcome Bethan Howells as the new Schools Lead for Local History Hub Blackburn with Darwen. With six years’ experience as a primary History Lead, Bethan brings a passion for local history and a commitment to helping teachers access the people, places, and resources that bring the subject to life.

Over July and August we welcomed new Schools Leads in Liverpool and Cheshire West & Chester, and appointed our first National Heritage Advisor for England. These additions strengthen both our local hubs and national strategy as we prepare for an exciting year ahead.

Meet Our New Schools Leads for Liverpool

We’re excited to announce that Ann-Marie and Jacquie from Monksdown Primary School have been appointed as the Schools Leads for Local History Hub Liverpool. With a shared passion for inclusive education and local storytelling, they’ll be supporting schools across the city to connect with Liverpool’s rich heritage and bring community voices into the classroom. Their leadership marks an important step in building a vibrant, place-based network rooted in the city’s diverse histories.

We’re excited to welcome Jess Kelly as one of the new Schools Leads for Local History Hub Cheshire West & Chester. A KS2 teacher with a background in history and a passion for practical, teacher-led curriculum development, Jess is helping shape a hub that’s grounded in real classrooms and local stories.

Marie Woods joins as National Heritage Advisor for England
We’re delighted to welcome heritage professional and archaeologist Marie Woods to the Local History Hub team as our new National Heritage Advisor for England. Based in North Yorkshire, Marie brings over a decade of experience in museum management, archaeological consultancy, and community-led heritage. In this honorary role, she’ll help guide our national strategy, champion inclusive local history education, and support our growing advisor network across the UK.

June Round-Up: From Pilot to Movement
This month, Local History Hub reached a major milestone—completing our five-hub pilot, welcoming new strategic leaders, and growing our national team of volunteers. With new partnerships, expanded regional presence, and deepened curriculum leadership, June marked a turning point in our journey: from a grassroots project to a teacher-led national movement rooted in people, place, and the power of local stories.

We’re delighted to welcome Grace Redpath as our new Regional Heritage Advisor for North East England.Learning Manager at Land of Iron and a PhD researcher at Durham University, Grace brings rich experience in community-led heritage and inclusive curation. She’ll be helping us connect with partners, identify opportunities, and support place-based history across the region.

✉️ Interested in becoming a Regional Heritage Advisor too? Email us at enquiries@localhistoryhub.org.uk.

We’re thrilled to welcome Alys Rouncefield of Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery as our new Community Lead. A passionate advocate for inclusive heritage education, Alys is dedicated to helping every young person in the region feel connected to their local history.

We’re thrilled to welcome Alex Fairlamb to the Local History Hub Strategic Board as a Non-Executive Director. A nationally respected curriculum leader and history educator, Alex brings a wealth of experience in inclusive practice, curriculum design, and teacher development. Her appointment strengthens our mission to support schools in delivering rich, locally rooted, and inclusive history.

Local History Hub is excited to be exploring a partnership with Kids in Museums, a national charity working to make museums more welcoming for children, young people, and families. Together, we aim to help schools connect more deeply with local museums, highlight careers in heritage, and inspire the next generation through initiatives like Takeover Day.

We’re proud to announce that Local History Hub is now a member of The Heritage Alliance, the UK’s leading network of independent heritage organisations. This strengthens our voice in the sector and deepens our commitment to inclusive, place-based education.

We’re thrilled to launch Local History Hub: Derby—our fifth and final pilot hub for 2025–26! This new hub will support primary schools to explore Derby’s rich industrial and social heritage through creative, place-based learning.

Local History Hub is proud to partner with The Black Curriculum to support inclusive, place-based history education across the UK. Together, we’re working to ensure Black British history is meaningfully represented in schools and communities.

We’re delighted to welcome Liberty Melly as our new Director of Inclusive Heritage Practice. Liberty brings national expertise in inclusive museum education and a deep commitment to place-based storytelling. She will help guide Local History Hub’s work on equity, representation, and inclusive practice as we grow our UK-wide network of school-based hubs.

We’re delighted to welcome Sarah Hartsmith as our new Director of Curriculum Design.
A respected national voice in history education, Sarah brings extensive experience as a Head of History, a History Subject Development Lead at Teach First, and a passionate advocate for local history. She will provide strategic oversight as we develop our flagship resource Our Homes, Our Stories and support schools in designing place-based, meaningful curricula.