Community Engagement Programme
Since 2022, our Community Engagement Officer, Robin Sullivan, has been spearheading a transformative initiative: the Grime’s Graves: Digging Deeper Activity Plan, generously funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to Robin's dedication and the support of this funding, Grime’s Graves has embarked on an exhilarating journey of community engagement.
Over the past years, we've forged partnerships with 23 new organizations and community groups, reaching out to nearly 2000 individuals both on and off-site. Despite our closure to the public due to ongoing conservation and construction efforts, our commitment to community involvement has never been stronger.
Curious to learn more about our journey so far? Excited about what lies ahead? Interested in becoming part of this vibrant initiative? Keep reading to discover the incredible progress we've made and the thrilling opportunities that await you!
Saturday Storytelling Club
As part of our latest campaign to engage more young people in the history of Grime’s Graves, we commissioned Bloomsbury Author Sophie Kirtley to write a brand-new children’s story titled "Midnight Flint"! It's available on our website as an audio or written text story. We then took this story on the road with the Yarnsmith of Norwich, storyteller Dave Tong, who adapted it into an aural performance at libraries across Norfolk and Suffolk, alongside our brand new Handling collection, Kids Q&A, and Neolithic Fancy dress box!
As part of this project, we launched the Midnight Flint Drawing Competition, where young people drew their favorite scenes from the story with the help of tailor-made online resources.
The winners are currently being selected, and the winning drawings will be available as free postcards from Grimes, highlighting the new story! Why not pick up a postcard and share the story with a friend?
Community Action Volunteering Days
Grime’s Graves has partnered with Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Natural England to establish two new community landscape conservation projects to increase biodiversity and converse the incredible SSSI status landscape of Grime’s Graves.
We will be hosting our Community Action Volunteer Days, using environmentally friendly foot stomping methods to control the bracken, a much greener approach then herbicides. There will also be experts on hand to tell us more about the projects, what our efforts are contributing towards, and will be there to answer any questions. This is a great opportunity to bring your family, friends, support local wildlife, learn something new and meet new people. Please check back for dates and times.
MensCraft & Norfolk Wildlife Trust Volunteering
In February 2024, the brilliant Charity MensCraft joined us on-site to help build better habitats for ground-nesting birds with Norfolk Wildlife Trust. This new partnership will continue to work together to boost wellbeing and the local environment one day at a time.
To find out more, read this blog post by Community Engagement Officer Robin Sullivan. In Summer 2024, you will have the chance to come to the site and join in similar projects helping manage the Bracken on-site.
Youth Advisory Panel
In 2022-23, we dedicated Thursday evenings to visiting local Youth clubs with the Benjamin Foundation and Iceni School, engaging young people in conversations about heritage, our new project, and brainstorming ideas for collaboration. During this period, young people from Thetford also provided valuable advice on interpreting the new exhibition and signage.
Thank You
We would like to thank the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Please visit The National Lottery Heritage fund website
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use hashtag #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
Brand New Volunteering Programme
With major updates to the site and a brand-new engagement program, we were able to create five new volunteering opportunities for local people. We launched our Tour Guide Volunteers, Community Outreach Volunteers, Storytelling & Handling Collection Volunteers, and also Youth Engagement and Learning Volunteers. To find out more and to apply to join our team as a volunteer, click here.
Our next Volunteer recruitment event will take place on the 8th of May at Grimes Graves from 10 am to 12 pm.
Grime's Graves Handling Collection
With support from the National Heritage Lottery Funding and our Collections and Historians teams, we have three new handling collections at Grime's Graves; Site Collection, Schools Collection, and Community Collection, bursting with incredible replica artifacts to help tell the story of Grimes and its importance in the Neolithic Period.
These handling collections are great for engaging the local community in youth clubs and wellbeing groups. To find out more about these collections and how you can use them at your school or community group, or to enquire about a community outreach session contact our community engagement officer.
Stone Age Days
Throughout 2023 & 2024, we are hosting a series of Stone Age Experience days for local community groups with support from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, providing transport and engaging activities such as flint knapping and bone carving.
Community groups who have joined us were able to explore the landscape and go ‘searching for flint’ in the new rabbit warrens, descend down into the mines to hear the ancient bone flutes play and have a go at ancient crafts.
In 2024, we are looking forward to welcoming groups from Mind, Waverley, and Thetford, Sounding Fostering, and Local NHS Social Prescribing groups.
Film and Media Project
Through an exciting youth led project, we have been exploring the site through sound and moving image with help from contemporary artists, Oliver Payne and Lewis Wickwar. Ancient House Museum's Teenage History Club have been finding novel ways to reflect their feelings of being at Grime's Graves.
Join us for planned screenings in June 2024, more details to follow.
This project has been supported by workshops with English Heritage Curatorial teams, 3D scanning and Photogrammetry specialists Chris Roberts & Mike Harrington, Ancient House Museum, Memma & Kit of Prehistoric Experiences, and artists Oliver Payne & Lewis Wickwar. Produced by Robin Sullivan.