Helen Hoyle, Social Return Manager at Enable2 explains how this unique idea came about:
“When we purchased 152 Sunbridge Road, which we since renamed Westend Mill, we were keen to learn about the history of the building and the surrounding Goitside area so I approached Wayne Jacobs from One in a Million Free School to see if they were interested in running this as a social history project with their students, producing a display for our reception area. In return, Enable2 would gift them £2,000 towards their charitable work in Bradford.”
Wayne Jacobs, CEO of One in a Million and Lisa Jagger, Director of Enterprise, Humanities Lead and History Teacher, said they were interested and took the project on. We wanted to know who had owned this once Victorian textile warehouse, what had happened here and who had worked within its walls, so Lisa got to work to recruit a group of keen students. The students already had a mixture of interests in history, art and photography so we were delighted that we had some real history they could get involved in.
To get started we gave the students copies of the deeds to the building and paid for an Ancestry UK membership, with the brief of finding out more about what had gone on in Westend Mill. The students visited to look round, try to decipher the deeds, full of ‘legal speak’, and take photos. Their caretaker came to visit too, to take photographs of the old winching gear in the loft.
Students first got involved in the project as part of their weekly enrichment after school before it moved to three lessons a week! Students learned that the first owner of the mill in 1890 had been Robert Outhwaite. They learned too all about the Goitside conservation area, industrial revolution and its effect on Bradford, and the woollen industry in the city. Research even included access to the family archive research centre.
The project allowed the students to be real historians exploring the past and using archives as evidence to support their findings. This fantastic project enabled students to develop skills such as: independent learning, teamwork, research analysis, handling historical documents, meeting deadlines, and creating artwork and presentations.
On 13th September 2018, the students, teacher Lisa Jagger and the Principal of One in a Million Free School, Philip Grant, formally handed over a fantastic presentation display to Enable2 at a celebratory lunch.
Feedback from the students expressed how much they had enjoyed the challenge they’d been set:
“The researching process was exceedingly interesting and beneficial in gaining knowledge about a part of Bradford’s history. Collaborating with all the learners made this little journey immensely joyful. I am honoured to be part of this spectacular opportunity.”
Their teacher Lisa said in her summary of the project:
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with our young people on this project. They have approached it with maturity and produced work of a high standard. The project has been a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage with real historical documents and to research their local History in Bradford. I am very proud of their efforts. One In A Million would like to take this opportunity to thank Enable2 for involving us in such an exciting project. You helped to bring history to life!”
Enable2 were as delighted with the resulting presentation from the students as the students were of their work. We have a really interesting display for our foyer area and the school will put the donation that we gifted them to good use in the charity work they undertake within Bradford supporting young people in the city.