OUR STORY SO FAR
From one teacher's idea to a growing UK-wide network.
Local History Hub began with a simple observation: teachers want to bring local history into their classrooms, and heritage organisations have extraordinary knowledge to share, but connecting the two isn't always easy.
What started as an idea to make those connections easier has grown into a grassroots network bringing together teachers, schools, heritage organisations and communities across the UK.
We're still at the beginning of our journey, and much of what we're building is being shaped by the people who have joined us along the way.
Where It All Began
Local History Hub was founded by primary school teacher Matthew Harper-Duffy, drawing on more than a decade of classroom experience and a belief that local history deserves a meaningful place in every child's education.
The starting point wasn't a new curriculum, resource bank or accreditation scheme.
It was a question: what if teachers and the people who know their local heritage could simply work together more easily?
Schools already have talented teachers. Communities already have historians, museums, archives, heritage organisations and people with stories to share.
What was often missing was a straightforward way to bring them together.
Local History Hub was created to help make those connections possible.
Our Journey So Far
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Local History Hub develops from a classroom-inspired idea into a grassroots initiative focused on connecting schools with their local heritage.
In November 2024, Local History Hub is formally registered as a Community Interest Company, establishing a social enterprise dedicated to supporting local history education.
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The focus turns to developing the model, building relationships and exploring how teacher-led local networks might work in practice.
Conversations with educators, heritage professionals and potential partners help shape an approach built around collaboration, accessibility and manageable commitments.
The ambition becomes clearer: a network of local hubs that can grow in response to the needs of their communities.
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Local History Hub begins to establish a growing network of volunteer-led hubs across the UK.
Teachers and heritage professionals step forward to coordinate local working parties, bringing schools and community partners together.
The first Local History Day takes place on 22 April 2026, providing a shared opportunity to celebrate and explore the histories of the places children call home.
In 2026, Local History Hub also secures £25,000 through Let Teachers SHINE to support its development over the following two years.
By October, the network has grown to more than 40 hubs, with over 40 volunteer Hub Leads and engagement from more than 250 schools and community partners.
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Our next chapter is about strengthening what we've started.
We're focusing on supporting our existing hubs, developing practical CPD and curriculum opportunities, and understanding how locally rooted learning might contribute to children's experiences of place, identity and belonging.
We're also developing the Local History Charter, gathering pupil voice and working towards our next Local History Day on 21 April 2027.
Our ambition remains the same: for every teacher in the UK to eventually have access to a local hub.
Behind the Story
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Local History Hub was founded by a teacher, but it has never been intended to be the work of one person.
Our approach depends on the knowledge, generosity and commitment of teachers, heritage professionals and community partners who understand their local areas.
Our volunteer Hub Leads are central to this work. They bring people together, coordinate meetings and help their networks identify opportunities that make sense locally.
Some hubs span whole cities or counties. Others bring together a handful of schools and partners within a much smaller area.
There is no single model that every community must follow.
We provide support with networking, communications, planning and connections, while encouraging local people to shape their own priorities.
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From the outset, collaboration has been central to Local History Hub.
Our development has been supported by conversations and relationships with teachers, schools, museums, archives, heritage organisations and people working across education and the cultural sector.
These relationships have helped us understand both the opportunities and the practical challenges of bringing local history into classrooms.
They have also shaped our belief that meaningful progress comes through sustained relationships rather than isolated activities.
As the network develops, we are working with partners to expand access to expertise, create useful professional development and support opportunities for schools and communities to learn from one another.
We want Local History Hub to complement the excellent work already happening across the country, not duplicate or replace it.
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We're proud of how far Local History Hub has come, but we're conscious that establishing a network is only the beginning.
Our first priority has been to bring people together. The next is to understand what happens because those relationships exist.
With support from Let Teachers SHINE, we're using 2026–28 to strengthen our approach, test our developing Theory of Change and gather evidence about what works.
We're particularly interested in how local history can support children experiencing socio-economic disadvantage, and how schools and heritage organisations can make meaningful opportunities more accessible.
We expect our approach to change as we learn.
For us, being grassroots means listening carefully, remaining open to new ideas and recognising that the people closest to their communities are often best placed to shape what happens next.
The Next Chapter Is Ours To Write
Local History Hub has grown because people across the country have been willing to share their time, knowledge and enthusiasm.
Every new hub, partnership and conversation helps shape what comes next.
We're building something deliberately collaborative, practical and sustainable, and there is still plenty of room for others to get involved.
Whether you're a teacher, heritage professional, school leader or simply someone who believes in the importance of local history, we'd love you to be part of our story.