It was great to meet with some of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site Education Trustees. This is a local charity focused on researching and telling the story of what happened in the Derwent Valley during the industrial era.
We touched on how this year is starting with positive change.
In schools, local history will be taught as part of Labour’s curriculum review. It was taken off the UK national curriculum in 2014, but it is a vital part of our education. The education trust have been doing great work researching Belper in the nineteenth century – which is core to understanding our place and responsibility in the Industrial Revolution. Telling the story of our local history gives people a tangible identity and pride of their community.
We also spoke about how coming this year, World Heritage UK will be hosting their conference in Masson Mills in Matlock. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of the Belper Mills and wider Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. With Amber Valley Borough Council deciding on the Belper Mills planning application on the 16th February, we could have a really positive story to tell when the conference comes.
I look forward to meeting with the education trust again in the future, and working with them if we see progress on regenerating the Belper Mills.