A major new heritage education project will soon launch across the borough after Enfield Council received £240,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The ENLab Project is an ambitious heritage education initiative for primary schools and local heritage organisations.
Additional funding has been secured from the RSA Trust (£12,000), The Enfield Society (£10,000) and Enfield Council (£8,000) enabling a dynamic collaboration that will reconnect young people and families with Enfield’s rich heritage in the natural, industrial and built environment.
ENLab, led by Enfield Council’s Cultural Services, will bring together partners including Forty Hall, Museum of Enfield, Whitewebbs Museum of Transport, Enfield Archaeological Society, RSA Trust, Enfield Society, and Friends of Parks Groups to create a cohesive and inclusive education offer for schools across the borough.
Through the creation of curriculum-based resource packs for Key Stages 2 and 3, and the launch of six free, weekend Heritage Clubs in outdoor spaces, ENLab will ignite curiosity in local history and the environment.
The programme will culminate in a Heritage Festival at Forty Hall, designed as a vibrant family celebration of Enfield’s diverse stories.
Cllr Chinelo Anyanwu, Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Inclusion, said: “ENLab is a bold and timely project that will bring heritage to life for thousands of children across Enfield. It will give our communities the tools and confidence to connect with their local stories, while helping to build a more inclusive heritage sector.”
Gary Walker, Chair of the RSA Trust, said: “We are delighted to support ENLab. This collaborative project reflects our mission to invest in Enfield’s communities and help young people discover the borough’s remarkable heritage. We’re particularly excited by the educational legacy this project will leave behind.”
Dave Cockle, Chair of The Enfield Society, added: “The Enfield Society is proud to contribute to ENLab. By bringing together heritage venues, schools and volunteers, the project ensures our borough’s rich and varied history is passed on to future generations in meaningful and accessible ways.”
ENLab will give Enfield’s heritage a new voice through schools, parks, museums and families, building a shared understanding of the borough’s past and pride in its future. To keep up to date on the project, email Aliya Siddique for more information: Aliya.Siddique@enfield.gov.uk