Luton Heritage Forum is inviting local residents to share and celebrate their individual stories and memories of the town, by contributing to a new ‘people’s archive’ of Luton. Designed to capture the hidden history of the town, the archive sits within the Heritage Forum’s new website, which boasts enhanced functionality including maps, which allow users to explore the history of Luton by location.
The project has been made possible thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the website was designed and built by specialists in community archives, CommunitySites. The launch of the website follows the publication of Luton 2040’s 10-year Heritage Strategy for the town, which prioritises encouraging civic pride and wellbeing through ‘re-connecting Lutonians with the town’.
On the launch, Paul Hammond, Chair of Luton Heritage Forum, commented:
“We know that there is a huge interest in local heritage and culture across Luton and we’re inviting Lutonians to not only come and browse through photos and recollections of others, but also to share their own stories.
“This truly is a people’s archive and we’re seeking to involve residents of all ages and backgrounds in contributing an image or a memory. Through a patchwork of individual stories, we can build a definitive record of Luton’s living history complete with context and texture.
“We are incredibly proud of this website, which will only be enhanced further with every new contribution. The site also offers the potential to be used as an anchor point for future initiatives such as historical boards and heritage trails across the town. I’d like to thank the Heritage Fund and our volunteers for their support with this important project: without them this archive would simply not be possible.”
