The Heritage Hub existed due to the generosity of the management team at Eastgate Shopping Centre, Basildon's premier town centre shopping venue. When it was located on the first floor opposite Debenhams, the Hub as it was affectionately known, was the Our Basildon information poin t,where many members of the public wandered in to have a chat with our volunteers. Here we also held many interactions and meetings with our community partners who were inspired like all our visitors by the many lovely photographs that adorned the walls courtesy of the children who took part in the pilot heritage project.
We know that by encouraging a deeper awareness of the town and its surroundings everyone can begin to feel connected to their heritage, appreciate their environment more and take pride in their inheritance. At present we are waiting for a new Hub to become available but please do not let that stop you from contacting us by email or phone as we are still very much in operation.
The Photographs
The photographs in the Hub, some of which are available on this site are the result of our pilot project with two hundred Year 5 schoolchildren working with our photographer and the Heritage Team in five of Basildon's primary schools . It is through their combined efforts that we now have the 12km self-guided walking trail around Basildon that showcases our wide open, green spaces, our built environment and some great examples of public art and architecture.
Through a series of masterclasses held in each school and over a nine-month period, the children were shown how best to take photographs of the buildings and open spaces that interested them. A published writer also encouraged the children to describe their town helping them to identify, look for and to celebrate their heritage while improving their literary skills.
Thank you
To the children, teachers and staff at Bardfield Primary School; Cherry Tree Primary School; Laindon Park Primary School; Pitsea Junior School & St. Anne Line RC Junior School for your invaluable input. And our sincere thanks as always must go to the Eastgate Management Team for their ongoing support to this project, their community spirit, and their continued work with us. Please watch this space for details of the new ‘Heritage Hub’ when it is available.
