Leadgate Memories - GeoStories

Before the Covid-19 pandemic began, Digital Voice embarked on a project in partnership Haven House and The Eden Miners Centre to document the history of Leadgate through a series of short films. This journey through shared heritage was part of Digital Voice’s community focused GeoStories service which connects people of all ages through storytelling and technology.

Now more than ever it is a good time to look back on projects like this and reflect on what has been collected and achieved. Covid-19 may have interrupted out ability to meet in person, but Digital Voice is ensuring people can still share experiences and keep community spirit alive and one way we can achieve this is by looking back at successes such as Leadgate Memories and looking forward to future GeoStories projects.

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Leadgate Memories aimed to document and explore Leadgate’s rich mining heritage and how everyday life used to be for the residents of the village.

Residents were incredibly keen to engage with our weekly drop-in sessions, warmly hosted by the Eden Miners Centre. Everyone was captivated by the wonderful stories, and there was no shortage of photographs shared, which really brought the experiences to life. The Digital Voice team were also welcomed into the lovely Haven House where we were grateful to residents for generously giving their time for filmed interviews well.

The culmination of all these shared stories, images and experiences was a series of three short films about Leadgate that premiered on their Facebook page this November – just what people needed to warm the chilly nights and remind everyone about a community spirit very much alive and well despite the pandemic.

With a combined reach of over 43,000 people the three films ‘Bonfire Night’, ‘A Job for Life’ and ‘Leadgate Memories’ where a phenomenal success, but the real impact is the lasting living memory that residents, and a much wider audience, can keep for generations to come.

Don’t worry if you missed these moving and popular films you can still watch them here – Leadgate Memories Playlist