The hub is a free online space for people to share historical and contemporary photographs, films and sounds being collected to mark the Centenary of the First World War. Uploaded content can be explored using maps and timelines and enriched with the fascinating stories that have been uncovered by local communities.

People can use the hub to discover what Centenary activity is taking place in their local area and how they can get involved. The hub will also be a window into the past and will create a rich record of how the country marked the Centenary of the First World War.

Historypin has developed the hub in partnership with HLF, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Jisc and Imperial War Museums.

Speaking at the launch of hub in the Houses of Parliament, Carole Souter, Chief Executive of HLF, said:  “So far, through our small grants programme alone, the Heritage Lottery Fund has helped more than 700 communities across the UK mark the Centenary.  This new hub will enable those groups to share the stories and archive materials they’ve been uncovering, whilst creating a dynamic digital legacy that future generations can look back on.”

HLF is encouraging all its grantees with First World War projects to upload their activity to the Centenary hub.  Items already available to view include:

• a film produced Acta Community Theatre called about its Gas Girls project which explores women working in Avonmouth’s mustard gas factory
• The photographs and films from the Maritime Archaeology Trust’s Forgotten Wrecks of the First World War
• Archive material from Somerset Remembers a project run by Somerset Heritage Society Service

Breandán Knowlton, Executive Director of Historypin, said:  “Thousands of people all over the UK are marking the First World War Centenary and Historypin's hub will help these communities work together and share the stories that they uncover. Open, free access to all of these materials will ensure that many more people can contribute, collaborate and better understand the war”

Notes to editors

Follow us on Twitter @heritagelottery, #understandingWW1

Historypin

Historypin brings people together from different generations and cultures to collaborate with their local community to share, explore and document their local history. Through a set of web and mobile tools, anyone can upload historical photographs, videos, audio clips, stories and memories. These can be explored through maps and timelines, enriched with stories and memories and overlaid over Google Street View to create windows into the past. So far 375,000 pieces of materials have been shared by 60,000 users and 2,000 institutions and community groups around the world. Historypin runs a series of projects around the world, running local activities and events to generate positive social impacts in communities.

Historypin is a not-for-profit and was created by the not-for-profit behaviour change company Shift. For more information view the Historypin website or follow them on Twitter @Historypin.

About Jisc

Jisc offers digital services and solutions for UK education and research. The charity does this to achieve its vision for the UK to be the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world.

Working together across the higher education, further education and skills sectors, Jisc provides trusted advice and support, reduces sector costs across shared network, digital content, IT services and procurement negotiations, ensuring the sector stays ahead of the game with research and development for the future.

Find out more at Jisc website or contact the press team on press@jisc.ac.uk

Further information

Natasha Hughes or Alison Scott, HLF Press Office, on tel: 020 7591 6143/6032. Out of hours mobile: 07973 613 820.