Ledbury Library project wins competition for special documentary

Herefordshire Council has been working with the county-based voluntary team Vinvolve to set up an intergenerational project for the people of Ledbury which is now to feature in a special photograph-led documentary.

Staff from the council-run Ledbury Library and Vinvolve will be working with John Masefield High School and Age Concern on the project which will bring together some young people and some of the older members of the Ledbury community to share experiences and memories of their teenage lives.

The project has been chosen by Pieces of Sky, who specialise in documenting community and people focused projects through photography, to be the subject of a special photographic documentary.

The Ledbury Library project was one of 71 schemes submitted from throughout the West Midlands, Northwest and Wales. Pieces of Sky chose the Ledbury project to be the subject of the documentary because it will be an intergenerational building for an intergenerational community and become a part of the living history of Ledbury.

Chris Smith of Pieces of Sky said: “This project is about far more than bricks and mortar. It’s about people of all ages and what they want. It is about what people believe other generations want and it will tackle perceptions. Projects like this bring communities together and show us all that we have more in common with each other than we may realise.”

Pieces of Sky will now document the intergenerational project as it progresses and the photographs will then be used to showcase the project.

Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for economic development and community services, said: “We hope that, through the project, young people will gain insight about teenage life in the 1940s and 50s, and the older participants will appreciate that teenagers now have very similar problems that they faced, as well as new challenges together with the benefits offered by modern technology.

“The project is being set up now and should run into the spring of 2010, where the groups will meet to share their stories. It is then planned that the young people will put together some form of celebration event for everyone involved in the New Year.

“We anticipate that this will encourage young people to engage with the wider community, and should give them an opportunity to also work closely with the town library in this important time.

“Herefordshire Libraries are conscious of the need to be inclusive to all areas of the community, and encouraging young people to have an interest in the future of their library service has formed part of the wider consultation regarding the new building in Ledbury.

“In addition, young people involved in this project will gain nationally recognised certification for voluntary work from Vinvolve, which can contribute to vocational qualifications, Duke of Edinburgh's awards and help job and college applications stand out form the crowd,” he added.

Pieces of Sky are a professional photographic company who specialise in community and people focused documentary. Visit http://www.piecesofsky.com/ for more information.

They recently ran a nationwide competition which the Ledbury project won. As a result of this, the council will receive photographs of the project as it develops which will be used to showcase the work done by all concerned.