BUDDING archaeologists can turn their career dreams into reality after a new club was set up in Solihull.
The Solihull Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) is set to hold monthly sessions at The Core to give youngsters between eight and 16 the chance to learn about local history through archaeology and interactive activities.
The group will join a network of over 70 YAC branches across the UK, managed by the Council for British Archaeology (CBA).
It was set up with the help of HS2 contractor Laing O’Rourke and J Murphy and Sons (LMJV).
To help gauge the interest of the local community in the formation of a club, Wessex Archaeology – a sub-contractor working on behalf of LMJV – ran a number of taster sessions in conjunction with the CBA.
In the taster sessions, HS2’s archaeologists shared their experiences of working on the rail project through three online workshops, one face-to-face workshop and one ‘Archaeology Takeover Day’.
Natasha Bramall, community engagement coordinator for Wessex Archaeology, said:
“In our initial trial events, we looked at three major HS2 archaeological sites on Park Street, Coleshill Park and Curzon Street.
“We also visited Castle Bromwich Gardens and discovered some of the archaeological processes that are being used along the route of HS2.”
Councillor Alison Rolf, Solihull Council’s cabinet member for stronger and safer communities, said: “Our aim is to engage young people in discovering more about the local area and its history and give them the opportunity to try out activities that they may not experience in more formal educational settings.
“We are so grateful for the support and encouragement from the Wessex Archaeology team, and YAC-HQ, and we are really excited by the sessions we have planned so far.”
For more visit https://www.yac-uk.org/clubs/solihull-yac.
