Deighton Heritage – A Carnival Legacy
Celebrating 25 Years of Deighton Carnival in Huddersfield
A Huddersfield-based social enterprise, Local Services 2 You, has been awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver an exciting new project celebrating the history and heritage of the Deighton Carnival.
Titled “Deighton Heritage – A Carnival Legacy”, the project will shine a light on 25 years of the Deighton Carnival, a vibrant cultural event that has brought together generations of residents across Deighton and the wider Kirklees area. The initiative aims to document, celebrate, and preserve the carnival’s rich history, ensuring its stories are captured and shared with the local community and beyond.
Through a programme of community-led activities, intergenerational engagement, and historical preservation, the project will capture the spirit and legacy of the carnival, recognising its importance in reflecting themes of migration, inclusion, and cultural identity.
Project outcomes will include the collection of oral history interviews with past and present carnival organisers, participants, and community members to preserve personal stories and lived experiences, alongside a public exhibition showcasing photographs, memorabilia, and recorded stories with opportunities for residents to contribute their own memories. The project will deliver intergenerational workshops that enable young people to learn about the carnival’s cultural significance while developing storytelling and journalism skills, create a professionally archived collection hosted by the West Yorkshire Archives Service, and provide volunteer training in heritage and archival skills. A lasting digital legacy will also be established through the production of a documentary film, a dedicated website, and accessible heritage resources.
Quote from Howard Belafonte at Local Services 2 You:
“Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, we are absolutely thrilled to have received this funding. It will ensure that the legacy of the Deighton Carnival is preserved for future generations, celebrating the people, stories, and shared cultural experiences that have made it such an important part of Huddersfield’s heritage.”
For further information about the ‘Carnival Legacy’ project contact Howard Belafonte on email at howardbelafonte@ls2y.co.uk
Local Services 2 You
Local Services 2 You is a Huddersfield-based group of community businesses working to support residents and strengthen local neighbourhoods in Deighton, Ashbrow and across Kirklees. They deliver a wide range of community-focused services and opportunities that aim to benefit people of all ages and backgrounds.
Their work includes providing quality early years childcare and family support services through nurseries, managing community buildings and spaces that host activities and events, and running local initiatives such as the annual Deighton Carnival. As a social enterprise reinvesting profits back into the community, they also help support local networks, groups and activities that bring people together and create positive social impact. Find out more at www.ls2y.co.uk
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for, and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.
Over the next ten years, we aim to invest £3.6 billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places, and the natural environment.
We help protect, transform, and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.
We are passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund www.heritagefund.org.uk
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