May 13 2013
We are delighted to inform you of a recent and unexpected development for Huddersfield Rugby League: A Lasting Legacy.
Tomorrow, Wednesday May 15th 2013, Brian Heywood (Project Manager) will be visiting the House of Commons in London following an official invitation to meet the various MPs, Peers and other guests. He has been asked to talk to the assembled guests in the room about the project, in particular what difference the Heritage Lottery Funded project is/will be making to our local community's understanding of the First World War.
This is a very rewarding opportunity that reflects the time and dedication given to the project by Brian Heywood, our invaluable Steering Group and many others who have contributed to date.
To be representing Huddersfield, Rugby League and our precious Heritage on a national stage is a fantastic honour and will hopefully boost the project as it continues to expand and excel above all expectations over the coming months.
May 15 2013
Below are links to reports about yesterday's HLF launch (to Daily Telegraph and HLF websites). The event was held in the Terrace Pavilion of the House of Commons and was attended by over 150 MPs. The fund is
1 million per year for six years for local communities to commemorate the Great War, grants ranging from 3,000 to 10,000. The process, from application to allocation is expected to be 8 weeks.
Daily Telegraph
Heritage Lottery Fund - New WW1 Pages
Heritage Lottery Fund - WW1, What We Found
 The four who shared the presentation at the event, Patricia McCarthy (who won the National Poetry Competition 2013 with 'Clothes that escaped the Great War'), Dame Jenny Abramsky, (Chairman of the HLF), Maria Miller, (Secretary of State for Media,Culture and Sport), and Dr Andrew Murrison, (Conservative MP for Westbury and the Prime Ministers special representative for the centenary of World War I) |
 Brian Heywood talking to Agnieszka Kandouci, Parliamentary Researcher to Mark Garnier, MP for Wyre Forest |
 Brian Heywood talking to Dr Andrew Murrison |
 Brian Heywood with Dr Andrew Murrison |
National Recognition for Huddersfield Giants Heritage Project
Huddersfield Rugby League: A Lasting Legacy and its project manager, Brian Heywood, visited the House of Commons in Westminster following an official invitation to meet over 150 MPs and Peers from across the United Kingdom. This was in recognition of the projects work in helping the Huddersfield community to understand the experiences of local people during the Great War.
The event, staged in the House of Commons Terrace Pavilion, launched the Heritage Lottery Funds 6 million grants programme, First World War: Then and Now which will enable local communities, to commemorate, conserve and share their Great War experiences.
Huddersfield Rugby League: A Lasting Legacy was one of six projects nationwide selected to talk about their programme.
It is good to know that the HLF is happy with what we are doing, said Mr Heywood. The foresight to include World War I in our Activity Plan back in 2011 has enable us be well prepared for 2014 and be recognised at events such as this. The support of our superb steering group and all local volunteers has so far been invaluable, without whom our project would be impossible.
The HLF was particularly keen for us to stress the partnerships we have built in Huddersfield. Local university students are helping to research and write our Huddersfield in World War I book, the first to cover the entirety of the war in the town. The local history and civic societies are assisting with invaluable advice for the book. Our World War I Town Centre Trail is being produced in partnership with Discover Huddersfield, which is itself an amalgamation of several local organisations. The book and trial will both be published in 2014, in time for the centenary of the start of the war.
Our major link between rugby league and the war is Huddersfields Team of All Talents, winners of all four available trophies in 1914-15. Most of these players went to war and two of them, international forward Fred Longstaff and the reserve teams Edward Haigh, did not return. One of our volunteers, David Gronow has transcribed the 1917 war diary of another international, Douglas Clark. Douglass diary ends when he is invalided out of the war with 90% injuries and the Military Medal for bravery after which he defied medical advice by not only playing again, but regaining his international place and later becoming All-in Wrestling Champion of the World. Since publicising Douglass story we have been approached by two playwrights and a filmmaker who want to put his story onto stage and screen.
Huddersfield in World War I will also be a unit of our local history scheme of work, which is free to local schools, and feature in our main exhibition at the Tolson Museum, which opens in October.
This is just one exciting event in a calendar of activities for the project that will be working across the local community until November 2014.
It was a great honour for our project to represent Huddersfield, Rugby League and our precious heritage on a national stage and just reward for our fantastic volunteers whose work continues to boost the project above and beyond all expectations.
