The Balsall Heath Local History Society
Charity 1101945
www.balsallheathhistory.co.uk.wwwthelostchildren.uk
Overview
Summary
The Balsall Heath Local History Society appears to operate as a community memory organisation: it does not only interpret the past, but helps residents create, retain and share evidence of local identity. Its model combines research, collections, public programming and intergenerational participation. This suggests a role that connects heritage activity with community belonging, while potentially acting as a local knowledge resource for schools, groups and other history organisations.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Balsall Heath West
Confidence: high
Direct evidence places the society's active base at The Old Print Works in Balsall Heath. The society is also a current partner in the Balsall Heath-focused 'Believe in Balsall Heath' community arts and heritage project. This supports a sustained operational presence centred on Balsall Heath rather than merely a correspondence address.
- The Old Print Works, 'Who's at the Old Print Works'
Lists Balsall Heath Local History Society as based at The Old Print Works and states that it holds its local photographic, map and other history resources there. - The Old Print Works, 'Believe in Balsall Heath'
Names Balsall Heath Local History Society as a collaborating organisation in a project celebrating Balsall Heath's people, culture and history, involving events, oral histories and community participation. - Charity Commission Register, charity 1101945
Records current activities including local-history promotion, work with community groups, exhibitions, accessible collections, monthly meetings, reminiscence work and drama.
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission records Birmingham City as the charity's reported area of operation, but the available current evidence does not identify regular delivery sites or sustained programmes elsewhere in Birmingham.
- The governing objects refer to Birmingham, Balsall Heath and Highgate, but this is an authorised area of benefit rather than direct evidence of current activity in Highgate or across Birmingham.
- The available evidence confirms a partnership role in the Balsall Heath-focused 'Believe in Balsall Heath' project, but does not specify the society's individual responsibilities, event locations or the duration of that role.
- The available evidence does not comprehensively verify current meeting venues, exhibitions, school work or any occasional activities outside Balsall Heath.
Additional evidence needed
- A current programme, events calendar or annual report identifying the venues and neighbourhoods of meetings, exhibitions, school sessions, trails and reminiscence work.
- Confirmation from the society of whether The Old Print Works is its continuing public-facing operational base and whether its collections can be accessed there.
- Current project documentation for 'Believe in Balsall Heath' showing the society's activities, locations and timescale.
- Evidence of any regular delivery in Highgate or other Birmingham wards before expanding the recorded operational footprint.
Areas of work
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Education/training
- Environment/conservation/heritage
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A participatory, not purely curatorial, heritage model
The available evidence suggests the society treats local history as something residents can actively investigate, contribute to and discuss, rather than knowledge delivered only by specialists.
Why it matters
This helps explain how the organisation may build local historical capacity as well as preserve material. Its value may lie partly in enabling people to become researchers and custodians of place.
Show evidence
“Encouraging members of the society to undertake both written and oral research.”
Source:Charity Commission“Collecting resources and making them accessible to the public and schools.”
Source:Organisation
The society links generations through local memory
Its combination of reminiscence work with older people and local-history activity for schools may indicate an intergenerational bridge, with lived experience becoming a source of learning for younger residents.
Why it matters
This is more distinctive than a conventional history programme: it may help retain memories that are otherwise vulnerable to disappearing while strengthening younger people's connection to Balsall Heath.
Show evidence
“Undertaking reminiscence work with older people.”
Source:Charity Commission“Promoting local history in schools.”
Source:Charity Commission
Heritage is used as a public-facing community practice
The society appears to move historical material beyond storage or publication through exhibitions, events, social evenings and drama. This may indicate that it uses heritage to create accessible occasions for local participation.
Why it matters
Understanding this public-facing role is important because its contribution may include social connection and local visibility, not only historical education or collections care.
Show evidence
“Mounting exhibitions and displays for the general public.”
Source:Charity Commission“Monthly meetings and social evenings, publications. Reminiscence sessions and drama.”
Source:Organisation
- It is unclear whose histories, languages and experiences are represented in the society's collections and programmes.
- There is no evidence of the scale, frequency or reach of its work with schools, older people or community groups.
- The nature and depth of its relationships with other agencies and local history societies are unknown.
Remaining uncertainties
- Examples of recent projects, exhibitions and participating partners, including who took part.
- Information on collection holdings, access arrangements and representation of different local communities.
- Annual reports or activity data showing attendance, volunteer involvement and school engagement.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Promoting local history. Working with community groups. Organising exhibitions and events. Collecting resources and making them accessible to the public and schools. Monthly meetings and social evenings, publications. Reminiscence sessions and drama. Occasional trips out.
Charity objects
TO EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN AN UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF LOCAL HISTORY IN BALSALL HEATH THROUGH: ENCOURAGING MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY TO UNDERTAKE BOTH WRITTEN AND ORAL RESEARCH; PROMOTING LOCAL HISTORY IN SCHOOLS; COLLECTING ARTEFACTS, IMAGES AND DOCUMENTARY MATERIAL; UNDERTAKING REMINISCENCE WORK WITH OLDER PEOPLE; WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES, INCLUDING OTHER LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETIES; MOUNTING EXHIBITIONS AND DISPLAYS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC; ANY OTHER ACTIVITIES WHICH PROMOTE INTEREST IN AND AN AWARENESS OF LOCAL HISTORY RELATING TO BIRMINGHAM, BALSALL HEATH AND HIGHGATE.