-
Status
Received: on time
-
Income
£358.5K
-
Spending
£432.5K
Public benefits
The benefits for purpose one include enhanced knowledge of the sources which exist to study local, family and community history; encouraging access to important resources and archives, especially amongst non-specialist groups, who would previously have been reluctant/lacking in confidence to visit such public institutions such as PRONI;
communicating and demonstrating transferrable skills to local communities, equipping them with the skills and confidence to continue to develop and carry out their own research; an increased understanding of the complexity of the history of Ulster, leading to a deeper understanding of our past, which demonstrates how much of our history is shared and inter-connected, thereby facilitating capacity building, increasing self-confidence and a sense of fulfilment amongst the public. These benefits are evidenced by some 50 years of experience with feedback and evaluation from private individuals, groups, funding bodies and public institutions. The benefits for purpose two include increasing public awareness of, and bringing important historical data more readily into the public domain; making important source material available in user-friendly formats which are easily accessible to the general public; preserving and safeguarding vulnerable and important local historical resources, such as gravestone inscriptions and vital records (eg baptisms), to ensure their availability and accessibility to the general public; providing opportunities for the general public, irrespective of educational attainment and background, to have their research findings published and disseminated locally and to a worldwide audience. these benefits can be demonstrated by an extensive publications back list, dating back to the mid-1960s, many of which are still kept in print; some 31 volumes of gravestone inscriptions published over 40 years; over 2 million records accessible via online indexes; guidance on research and how to publish provided to thousands of members of the general public; by feedback and project proposals received on an on-going basis. The benefits for purpose three include an accurate representation of our past, which is crucial given that we are so defined by our history in this place; the identification of the many important shared aspects of our history; improved community relations which can accrue from partnerships in learning and shared study; facilitating capacity building amongst groups to enable them to undertake their own projects, and out of this encouraging a coming together on their own initiative to work with other groups across the divide; nurturing, guiding and encouraging groups with their research into our shared past; facilitating dialogue amongst groups on shared aspects of our past. These benefits can be demonstrated by practical commitment over many years to make a valuable contribution to civil society in Northern Ireland. This commitment to the public good takes many forms including the delivery of educational, heritage and community history projects. The beneficiaries of these purposes are people living in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and the rest of the world with an interest in the history of the province of Ulster. There is no harm flowing from these purposes and nobody gains a private benefit.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
The Ulster Historical Foundation is an educational non-profit organisation established in 1956 to encourage an interest in the history of the province of Ulster; promote a positive image of Northern Ireland overseas; strengthen the links between Ireland and those of Ulster descent; and broaden access to historical documents and records. The
Foundation is a research and publishing organisation, with a strong emphasis on educational outreach and community engagement. It offers extensive knowledge on the sources available for tracing Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors, and provides opportunities for publishing objective and accessible histories of the people of Ulster, which are sold through local retailers and online, ensuring dissemination and easy availability at home and overseas. For many years the output of the Foundation was achieved through research, publications and outreach programmes. With the advent of the internet the Foundation was able to make digitised sources, including online databases of over 2 million records, more readily available to the general public and our network of contacts. Complementing this approach the Foundation is bringing its expertise to local communities through outreach and educational initiatives. It has built on community based family and history workshops to deliver a range of courses, classes, summer schools and heritage projects in partnership with voluntary organisations, community interface groups, colleges, universities, cross-community and cross-border bodies and local councils. The Foundation seeks to develop local and family history, celebrate the diversity of Ulster’s cultural heritage and equip interested, amateur groups with practical resources and hands-on archival research experience that will enable their own research interests. This work can have wider societal benefits by contributing to capacity building and increasing self-confidence in socially disadvantaged groups, which can aid social cohesion.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of education
- The advancement of citizenship or community development
- The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science
- The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity
Who the charity helps
- Adult training
- Community safety/crime prevention
- Ex-offenders and prisoners
- General public
- Interface communities
- Learning disabilities
- Older people
- Physical disabilities
- Volunteers
How the charity works
- Community development
- Cross-border/cross-community
- Education/training
- Heritage/historical
- Research/evaluation
- Volunteer development
