On Tuesday 23rd March, a film about a great project called ‘Learning from the past, building for the future’ will be shown at Phoenix Square in Leicester. This project has helped more than 70 people living in the Braunstone area explore the history of their local community, by getting involved in different creative activities.

The idea behind the project was to promote ‘learning for pleasure’ and to give adults new skills in a more informal setting than is often the case. It was funded by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills through its ‘Transformation Fund’, which was set up in response to ‘The Learning Revolution’ White Paper.

I really enjoyed going to the project’s exhibition at the Brite Centre. There were some fantastic photographs (its a close call but I think the one of the duck was my favourite!), and beautiful, intricate textiles which had been painstakingly sewed, crocheted and knitted.

There was also a fascinating family tree for the Winstanley family (who owned Braunstone Hall), and stories that local residents had recorded about their own lives, and what they remembered about growing up in the area. One of the best things about the exhibition was that it also looked to the future: the graffiti art looked just as at home in the exhibition as the pictures from the past.

The B-Inspired team who ran the project, and all the community groups and volunteers who took part, have achieved an incredible amount in a very short timescale (6 months!). I think its a great example of a simple idea, which genuinely engages local communities, backed by support from national Government.