Toolkit
Are you looking to start your own community history project? We’ve put together some resources here to provide you with inspiration and support to get going with your ideas.
You can take a look at the Local History in Oxford and Current Collaborations pages, to find out more about projects that are already ongoing in community history. You may find useful contacts there to reach out to; but you are also very welcome to contact the Community History Fellow, Dr Priya Atwal, to seek support for developing your ideas and finding potential partners with whom to grow your project plans.
1) Start a Community History Project
2) Find local history archives and partners
There is a wealth of groups, organisations and individuals doing incredible work to document, preserve and promote the local and community history of Oxford and Oxfordshire. You can contact such bodies to gain access to a rich variety of sources and archives for pursuing your research, as well as to find potential partners to team up with. We’ve provided a list of contact details here, but the field of community history activity is growing rapidly, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for new groups that may be starting out in the local area.
You can also explore the research expertise and specialisms of History Faculty staff on our website. Email details for researchers are usually available on staff profile pages, or you can contact Dr Atwal for additional help.
Community and Activist Groups
- Oxford Civic Society
- Oxford Hindu Temple Project
- Oxford Muslim Community Initiative
- Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Oxford
- African Caribbean Kultural Heritage Initiative (ACKHI)
- The Icolyn Smith Foundation (supports Oxford Soup Kitchen)
- Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford
- Common Ground
- Black Oxford
- Uncomfortable Oxford
Historical Societies / Associations / Trusts
3) Fund your project
The list below provides details of funding available locally and nationally for community and local history/heritage projects. Please note that while many of these funders offer financial support for projects throughout the UK, the History Faculty is only able to assist with initiatives and collaborations that are focused on Oxford and Oxfordshire.
You are welcome to contact Dr Atwal with queries about funding and pursuing partnerships with members of the History Faculty.
Staff and students in the History Faculty are also advised to contact the Research Facilitators, Louis Hudson and Charlie Rudman, about seeking internal Faculty funding for projects and activities, or for help with applying for grants from any of the listed sources.
