LOCAL HISTORY HUB YORK

COMMUNITY LEAD

Dr Ruth Mather is the Community Engagement Officer at All Saints North Street, York, where she co-ordinates heritage outreach and schools programming. She has worked extensively with local history groups and with schools on a range of projects, covering themes including working class and women’s history as well as the medieval heritage of All Saints North Street. She is passionate about ensuring that all children and young people are offered the opportunity to learn about history in a way that is relevant and meaningful for them, and believes that local history study has the potential to connect learners to a deeper understanding of their communities and the development of a sense of place.  

SCHOOLS LEAD

Ollie is a primary teacher and History lead based in York with 11 years of experience. He is committed to building meaningful relationships in the classroom and fostering mutual respect. He has recently led a redesign of his school’s history curriculum, with a strong focus on local history, making the most of York’s rich heritage. Outside of school, he enjoys exploring historic sites across Yorkshire with his fiancée and their two dogs, as well as indulging in pub quizzes and his geekier interests.

COMMUNITY LEAD

 Olivia Durand is Community Co-Lead for the York Local History Hub and Research and Partnerships Director at Uncomfortable York, a community interest company that uses walking tours to bring critical thinking and public engagement into local tourism. Since 2023, she has developed partnerships with heritage and community organisations across York and beyond, creating educational initiatives that encourage accessible yet nuanced conversations about the past and its continuing legacies. The pedagogy she deploys in the tours and other learning activities emphasises multi-perspectivity, active listening, and media literacy. Olivia is passionate about informal history education and lifelong learning, particularly the role that inclusive and diverse local histories can play in fostering empathy and social understanding from a young age.