This exciting three-year project supported by the HS2 Community Fund will enable the National Paralympic Heritage Trust to outreach to communities across Buckinghamshire bringing Paralympic heritage and many untold local stories to life. In addition, it will engage new volunteers from across Buckinghamshire and equip them with new skills.
Together with nine communities along the HS2 phase 1 route we will uncover and record stories at risk of being lost, share and promote them locally and nationally while building skills across Buckinghamshire. This will be achieved through workshops in schools and community settings providing opportunities for groups to meet Paralympians and host artist residencies. These workshops will result in the creation of e-books for the National Paralympic Heritage Trust website and culminate in group visits to the permanent displays at Stoke Mandeville.
Some workshops will see groups researching key events such as the Finmere Show which contributed to fundraising for the early Games from 1960 for over 30 years or the first Wheelchair Marathon which went through the Chalfonts. While others will work with disabled artists to develop work and displays reflective of Buckinghamshire’s Paralympic heritage. The community in Stoke Mandeville will focus specifically on developing a trail to link the displays at the National Spinal Injuries Centre to those at the National Paralympic Heritage Centre in Stoke Mandeville Stadium. Our aim is to instil pride in Buckinghamshire for what is truly a remarkable national achievement.
This project will also support a range of tailored outreach events and activities that will promote Paralympic heritage. These will include pop-up museum visits at local events with a handling collection and showcasing the work developed with schools and communities.
Each of the schools and community groups selected will work with one of our disabled artists to enhance their learning experience on this project. Read about the artists and their work here. Read more
Working with schools and community groups along the HS2 phase 1 route we will uncover and record stories at risk of being lost, share and promote them locally and nationally. Read more
About the funders for this project, the HS2 Community Fund and the Thriving Communities Grant. Read more