In order to achieve its aims the Group undertakes a variety of practical projects involving as many members of the community as possible. To date we have successfully acquired funding from the ‘Awards for All’ Initiative, The Heritage Lottery Fund and a range of smaller funding streams.
Application for funding continues to be a key objective so we can continue the momentum of developing our recorded history.
The following list provides a brief summary of what we have achieved since the Group formed:
A major audio-visual experience and exhibition of photographs, documents and artefacts – described in the local media as one of the most innovative displays of its type.
A major photographic exhibition featuring over 500 photographs from the past 120 years.
Funding to allow a dozen village social groups to construct their own organisational history scrapbooks.
Provision of a range of teacher resources for the village primary school local history curriculum.
Two interactive history workshops (Victorian and Tudor) for the village primary school.
Introduction of an annual Junior Historian of the Year Award for all Pre-School and Primary School children.
A six-week training course in local history for 18 villagers provided by Derby Local Studies Library.
Audio reminiscence recordings by elderly (and not so elderly!) residents.
Funding to develop a photographic archive from images provided by the community.
A twenty-five minute DVD on the History & Heritage of Aston.
Publication of a comprehensive colour book, written by Group members on Aston’s History & Heritage.
Publication of a Village Trail booklet and The History of All Saints’ Parish Church. Funding for audio-visual IT equipment for high quality presentations.
Comprehensive research into burial records and a churchyard grave survey.
Research in association with the Royal British Legion for data on the village ‘fallen’ in two world wars. Funding for the creation of the All Saints’ Heritage Centre from the former Church vestry.
Development of this web site.
In August 2019 we received HLF funding of £7K for a new project ‘Moving forward with the past’. This project will see a second edition of our popular ‘Telling Tales: Sharing Stories publication, a community time capsule with the school, volunteer training for family history & genealogy and a 2-day photo and archive exhibition. This project follows on from a previous project, designed to enhance community awareness and involvement with village history and heritage