The project has been designed with the local community in mind. The industrial history of Rainford will be investigated through various means of fieldwork, documentary research, and artefact analysis. The project will endeavour to encourage and promote community participation, providing training, outreach programmes, and opportunities for local people and volunteers to get involved with all aspects of the project.

Rainford village was at the heart of a clay tobacco pipe and pottery industry through the 17th -20th centuries, with products produced in Rainford being traded far and wide. Previously few opportunities have been available for local people to become involved in the archaeological investigation of the village. ‘Rainford’s Roots’ hopes to change this, and encourage people to participate and gain a greater understanding of the history of the village.

Merseyside Archaeological Society Council believes this will be “fantastic for the local community and will allow more people to become involved in discovering the village’s history. We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, and are confident the project will gain support from the local community and further their understanding of Rainford’s rich heritage.”

Helping to announce this good news today is Tiffany Hunt, who has just been appointed as the new Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund North West Committee, Tiffany said: “We at the Heritage Lottery Fund are delighted to be supporting this project  which will provide excellent opportunities for local people to  explore the history of their village. By taking part in the archaeological  fieldwork, research and artefact analysis, people will not only expand their knowledge and learn new skills, but also help create a unique record of the area’s long pottery and clay pipe heritage for others to learn about and enjoy.”

Notes to editors

Members of HLF’s Committee for the North West are chosen for their wide range of experience and local knowledge. Responsible for making decisions on applications from across the North West to the fund from £50,000 to £2million, the committee are supported by the HLF team in the North West, who operate from Manchester based offices.

Tiffany Hunt, Lancastrian by origin, studied history at the University of Kent and completed a postgraduate course in Art Gallery and Museum Studies at the University of Manchester before becoming the Deputy Curator of the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum. In 1982 Tiffany joined the National Trust, and in the course of her career with the Trust held various regional and national roles based in Yorkshire, London, Northumbria and the North West. She now lives in Cumbria.

About the Merseyside Archaeological Society
The MAS is an independent charity and since its foundation in 1977 it has been involved in numerous community and archaeology projects, bringing together those interested in the archaeology and heritage of the Merseyside region.

Further information

Samantha Rowe, Community Archaeology Project Officer on 0151 4784560 or rainfordsroots@gmail.com

Laura Bates, HLF Press Office on 020 7591 6027 or lbates@hlf.org.uk