The young people from 1st Newry (Earl Kilmorey) Scout Group will receive training in a range of new skills, including interview and recording techniques, to enable them to research and record the heritage of the scouting movement in Newry and its development throughout the last one hundred years. 

Funding for the project was awarded through HLF’s ‘Young Roots’ programme, which provides grants of up to £25,000 for projects that allow young people, aged between 13 and 25, to take the lead in exploring and learning about the heritage that matters to them.  

Up to 20 young people will be involved in the one year project to explore the history of 1st Newry Scout Group, which is currently celebrating its centenary. Working in partnership with Newry Museum and Altnaveigh House, along with assistance from Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and some members of the Old Newry Society, the participants will develop new skills in IT, exhibition, display and research to enable them to carry out the project. 

The young people will undertake a programme of research to produce a book on the history of the group and the wider scouting movement in Newry. Interviews with former members will be carried out to capture the personal memories and stories of their scouting experiences for inclusion in the publication. Artefacts, memorabilia and photographs will be collected and used to produce an exhibition which will be open to the general public, and a website will be developed to share this heritage with the wider community. 

Commenting on the announcement, Head of HLF Northern Ireland, Paul Mullan, said: “The centenary celebrations of the 1st Newry Scout Group are a key opportunity to explore the rich and varied heritage of the group as it developed throughout the last one hundred years. The young people will actively lead the project and through their participation will learn a host of new practical skills, in addition to learning more about their past, and we are delighted to be involved.”

Speaking on behalf of 1st Newry, Mervyn Ferris, Scout Leader, said: “We are delighted that HLF’s ‘Young Roots’ programme has been able to provide us with this wonderful grant in order to allow our young members to take forward our exciting centenary project. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to gain valuable experience and learning by leading and taking part in this project.

“There is a wealth of information, memorabilia and photographs around which needs to be collated, edited and interviews to take place in order to complete our exhibition, display and compile the publication on the long history of our Group. A new website will be developed and updated by the members so as to keep the wider community informed on our activities and history, past and present. We are grateful to HLF and our partnership with Newry Museum, Altnaveigh House, along with the involvement of those members of Old Newry Society and help from Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. There is no doubt that our young people will be kept active and busy in the coming year but everyone is keen to get this project under way.”

HLF has a range of grant giving programmes to support heritage based projects both large and small, and since 1994 has awarded £135 million to projects across Northern Ireland. 

For more information about HLF's grants programmes.

Further information
Julie Halliday, HLF Northern Ireland on 07733 100 674 or julieh@hlf.org.uk