One of the strengths of the HA is our broad interest in all areas of history. So many history themes and narratives focus on the big issues, but for many of us, history starts in the local. That is why we introduced Local History and Community Month for each May – it is an opportunity to promote, highlight and celebrate the local history that is around us at all times.

Activities happen across the UK and include trips, library exhibitions and local lectures. It is a great way for groups to highlight local history and for local people to get involved.

Register your event

Each year the month goes from strength to strength, and a searchable calendar has been created where organisations can register their events.

• Register for free to add your local events
• If you've already registered, log in and submit your event here
• Download our free poster template for use in publicising your event.

We promote the month in many ways and one of those is to pose a local history question for our student oracy competition The Great Debate. This year, the question was:

Which historical place or person from your local area deserves greater recognition?

All those students that have taken part have been invited to submit their story, and we will publish them here online. Of those who have sent in their talks, the students have introduced their choice in their own style and they have also told the story in their own way; we have proofed their written versions but only lightly edited them to preserve their own voices and arguments.

For now, we are featuring three students' stories which recently appeared in HA News: ‘The truth is finally being told’ by Ryan Belaidi, a student at St Michael's College, London; ‘1896 Winter Hill Mass Trespass’ by Molly Grimshaw, student at Bolton School Girls’ Division, Bolton; and ‘My grandmother’ by Sia Vasudeva, a student at the Avanti House Secondary School in Stanmore, London. You can read these stories in the PDF attached below. 

We encourage you to share your local finds with us on Twitter/X and Instagram @histassoc using #HALHM24.

Local History Teacher Fellowship outcome resources

See the primary and secondary outcome resources from our 2021-22 Teacher Fellowship joint programme with the British Association for Local History, focusing on integrating local history into the classroom through the stories of the people and places which make the history of your school's community exciting and unique.

See also our Local significant individuals resource for primary history.