As part of our digital engagement, we are running a series of online skills workshops and webinars throughout 2021.

This year, we (BALH) are trialling a new initiative to offer benefit to your society’s members through a discount scheme for BALH events.

Initially this benefit will be in the form of a discount on selected online webinars, workshops and talks, but we will be reviewing its use over the course of the year.

Our aim is for this discount to be an additional attraction to members of your society; in turn providing extra value for your BALH society membership.

To take advantage of this discount offer, your members will be asked to enter your society’s unique code when booking designated events via our website.

Your unique code for Lancashire Local History Federation : F-23712J

We do hope you find this initiative of use in our new programme of events see below.

The first of these events are now open for booking. The majority are free for BALH members but open to non-members for a small fee. We are also trialling a new initiative to offer a discount for BALH Society Members to pass on to their membership. Each society has been issued with a discount code for this purpose.

BALH Digital Webinar : Creating your local history website

Wednesday 13th January 2021 6:00pm

A one-hour webinar with BALH’s Web Manager and professional web developer Paul Carter.

Paul will be introducing the basic concepts of setting up a local history website, whether that is for an individual research project or a local history society. The webinar will cover the key components of a website and demystify some of the technical jargon before looking at how to plan your website content and putting it all into action.

There will be plenty of time for Q+A as well as one of Paul’s fact sheets to save you having to make lots of notes!

Details and booking

BALH Digital Workshop : How to get your local history research out there!

Saturday 13th February 2021 10:00am

Public Engagement and Collaborative Working (a student special) with Claire Kennan (BALH)

This workshop will offer practical guidance on how academic research can be communicated to wider audiences, the opportunities that are available for collaborative and partnership working and how your research can have an impact in the wider world. In particular, it will focus on the specific support and opportunities offered by BALH ranging from writing blog posts to producing podcasts, working with teachers, local history societies, museums and much more.

Please note that this session is only available to students registered on a recognised Masters or PhD course of study at an HEI. ECRs who are within 5 years of completing their PhD are also welcome to attend.

Details and booking

BALH Digital Webinar : How to grow your local history social media presence

Wednesday 10th March 2021 6:00pm

A one-hour webinar with BALH’s Social Media Fellow, Daniella Gonzalez.

Daniella will provide an introduction to the various social media platforms available and how local history societies can best use them to promote their work and engage with the wider history community.

Details and booking

We will keep you updated with details of future events or check our website www.balh.org.uk/balh-events .

Message from the Chair

This has been a challenging year for an awful lot of people and our thoughts are with those who are having an exceptionally difficult time. Hopefully, with vaccination, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Christmas will be very different for everyone this time around with restrictions on family and social gatherings but I hope that you will be able to have as good a time as possible given the circumstances.

Just a reminder that we are holding our virtual carol concert tonight at 6.30 pm via Zoom.

To join in Rooley Moor Neighbourhood Forum is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Catley Carols

Time: Dec 23, 2020 06:30 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76602912723?pwd=cmZGZkx4SSt4b1lOK04wZElhTWVRUT09

Meeting ID: 766 0291 2723

Passcode: 2g3D3k

Here’s wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Andy Meek

Chair RMNF

Catley Carols – Wednesday 23^rd December 2020 – 6:30 pm via Zoom

You are welcome to join us on Wednesday 23rd December 2020 at 6:30 pm. We’ll only have 40 minutes so the idea is for the RMNF chair to make the opining comments, we’ll play a couple of carols, the Revd’s Sue & Morley Morgan and guests will say a few words. Then we can raise a glass together and maybe have a chat before our 40 minutes are up.

Please email: info@RMNF.org.uk and we’ll email a Zoom link to you on the 23rd December, which you can ignore if you are not able to participate.

1. Welcome from the RMNF Chair
2. Reading – Luke 2: 1 – 14 – The Birth Of Jesus
3. Carol – Once In Royal David’s City
4. Reading – John 1: 1 – 18 – The Word Became Flesh
5. Carol – Hark The Herald Angels Sing
6. Christmas Resolution
7. Prayer and Blessing
8. Carol – O Come All Ye Faithful
9. Raising a glass
10. Chatter and end

BBC Countryfile – Sunday 6^th December 2020 – Black Mountains.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000q6r1/countryfile-black-mountains

39:25 minutes into the programme they highlighted:

• 7 million acres of peatland in the UK providing a home to hundreds of plant and wildlife species.
• The peatlands absorb vast quantities of carbon from the atmosphere.
• Damaged peatlands release carbon into the atmosphere.
• Damaged peatlands account for around 10% of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• Preserving peatlands is crucial in the fight against climate change.
• Black Mountains Land Use Partnership (https://www.blackmountains.wales)
• Th Black Mountains are a hotspot for illegal trial biking which is taking its toll on the delicate peatland soil.
• Restoration is being lead by the Countryside Ranger and an Ecologist (Dr Paul Sinnadurai – https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Sinnadurai2)
• In the UK 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are released each year into the atmosphere from damaged peatlands – so it’s critical to look after them.
• Peat is really important because it locks in 5 times more atmospheric carbon than any other vegetation. It’s been doing that for thousands of years but where it gets exposed through the actions of footfall, livestock walking across it, illegal off road motorcycles ripping open the ground – we need to repair the damage to lock in the carbon.
• What is peat? Undecomposed vegetation that is formed where sphagnum moss traps rainwater. The moss gets buried and buried and buried but keeps growing towards the sky and the rain, it gets trapped beneath its own growth and gets pushed underground over thousands of years and more vegetation grows on top.
• To repair the peat Coir roll is used to slow water flow (https://www.salixrw.com/product/coir-rolls/) and the erosive power of water and to stabilise the peat.
• Heather seed is then planted.
• GeoJute is laid over the seed. (https://www.flexiblelining.co.uk/ground-reinforcement/erosion-control/geojute-erosion-control-rolls) The GeoJute is a biodegradable net that will eventually rot, it’s used to stabilise the peat and holds moisture so that in the summer the peat doesn’t completely dry out and it allows the seed to germinate.
• Damaged peat not only releases carbon into the atmosphere, it affects ecosystem, the control of water flow and water quality.
• Important habitat will be lost if we don’t tackle this problem.

Our AGM was held online via Zoom on Thursday 12^th November 2020

Circumstances of the AGM 

Due to Coronavirus restrictions the Government had given flexibility in the method used to conduct a Charitable Incorporated Organisation AGM. The Trustees decided to conduct the AGM by proxy, the AGM agenda and reports pack was published on our website, with additional reach being given through our social media platforms on Facebook and Twitter. Voting members of the forum were each sent an email that contained the AGM agenda and reports pack, a postal ballot form and a link to an online ballot that could be completed through SurveyMonkey. The results of the ballot were broadcast using Zoom video conferencing and each item on the agenda was commented upon.

You can read the AGM minutes HERE

Why soils are key for climate smart cities

Our thanks go to Professor David Johnson (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester) for giving his permission to share the following video, which was presented at the Greater Manchester virtual Green Summit.

More details about the Greater Manchester virtual Green Summit can be found at: https://www.gmgreensummit2020.co.uk

Keep up to date:

• Rochdale
• National

Uncover personal stories of the Second World War

Continue reading “WWII Historical Records”

COVID-19

RMNF is following the UK Government’s advice and will not be organising any events until the crisis is over.

We are fortunate to live in a wonderful area and we all know nature can be a powerful force for good in difficult circumstances. Our moors provide space for us to exercise and enjoy the fresh air, they can inspire us, lift our spirits and educate us.

Spring is here and we hope you’ll be able to take the opportunity to enjoy it. Please remember it’s the season for bird nesting and lambing – so please respect the moors and those who try to earn their living from grazing sheep and cattle.

RMNF is a member of the NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) and they have made their online content free for all to use – see the Knowhow website.

The NCVO also provides helpful information about Coronavirus that you will find by clicking HERE.

Community is everything in a time of crisis, so please take the time to check on any elderly or vulnerable persons that you know of.