HOME FRONT PRESERVES MEMOIRS OF WWII HISTORY IN NORTH WEST.

(From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases))

] BIG LOTTERY FUND PN 05-09-09 12 September 2005 HOME FRONT PRESERVES MEMOIRS OF WWII HISTORY IN NORTH WEST

An innovative project recording the memoirs of deaf people who lived during WWII and an extensive educational program including a stage production and exhibition will prove enduring reminders of the efforts of those who served on the home front in the North West during WWII. Both initiatives will be funded through the GBP22.3 million Home Front Recall program that is making its final awards in the region today.

The scheme, a joint initiative of the Big Lottery Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund, supports activities commemorating the efforts of those on the home front during the war, including fire fighters, auxiliary services, nurses, Bevin Boys and dock workers.

Today's awards bring the total number of projects funded in the North West to 358, with GBP1,801,288 in Lottery grants now distributed to groups across the region. The Home Front Recall scheme is now closed for applications, however funded events and projects will continue until the end of the year.

The British Deaf Association will use an award of GBP19,000 to produce a record of wartime experiences of deaf people in the North of England. Using British Sign Language (BSL), the first and preferred language of 70,000 deaf people and their families in the UK, the memoirs will be recorded on video.

"Deaf people who have recollections of living during the war will be invited to attend the video diary sessions where using BSL their memories will be recorded for use in an exhibition of Deaf wartime experiences. The video diaries will then be used to create edited videos and/or DVDs in sign language for use in future research …