Building Heritage Skills - Volunteering, Work Placements and More on the Broadfield Park Slopes

The Broadfield Park Slopes project has been running an array of opportunities for local people to get hands-on with heritage and learn new skills. To date, the project has delivered 22 archaeology work placements, with people completing a combined total 1094.5 hours of heritage-skills training. They have also delivered a number of different volunteering opportunities learning skills in community archaeology, heritage-based education, post-excavation skills and more. In addition to these, the project has been running a cross-curricular school programme with Broadfield Community Primary School teaching about art, english, local history, science, and more, supporting the schools' ambitions and aspirations programme by bringing in experts to discuss their jobs and encourage the children to think big about the options available to them in their careers. Through these skills development opportunities and improving exposure and awareness of heritage careers, the project aims to encourage local people to pursue future opportunities in the heritage and culture sectors in their careers, in volunteering or further study! 

But don't listen to the people that run the project, listen to the volunteers: 

What difference has it made to you personally? "It has solidified my passion for archaeology and I definitely want to study it at uni now!" - Rochdale Sixth Form Student 

How will this experience influence what you do next? E.g. future plans /careers "It made me realise the extensive impact of history - there is so much to say about the past from a tiny piece of pottery" - Rochdale Sixth Form Student 

What one thing would you take from this experience? If you could sum it up? "Archaeology is much more engaging when there is input from everyone involved, not just those in charge!" - University of Manchester Archaeology Student 

What difference has it made to you personally? "It has made me more confident to consider more practical volunteering opportunities in the future. I enjoyed learning new skills and knowledge" - Local Heritage Trainee 

What one thing would you take away from this experience? If you could sum it up? "Archaeology is more accessible than I thought" - Local Heritage Trainee 

We will be running more volunteering opportunities going forward, with plans to run volunteer historic research, biodiversity and gardening volunteering and more! 

If you are interested in getting involved with the project through volunteering or just want to keep up to date with upcoming events, opportunities and more, please email Broadfieldparkslopes@investinrochdale.co.uk