^{Photo credit: Warwickshire County Record Office, PH350 269a}

Dr. Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla, the Head of School for Cross-faculty Studies is part of a team that has successfully secured funding for a Public Engagement project at the University of Warwick. The project is being supported by Warwick’s Public Engagement Fund, designed to assist researchers of all levels to undertake projects or activities that build upon their public engagement experience and impact.

The ‘Memories of Binley Colliery’ Project

The aim of the project is to capture and present the memories of Binley Colliery through face to face interviews and networking sessions with local residents and community groups. Binley Colliery opened in 1911 and was a working mine until the 1960s. Once the mine closed, the site became a nature reserve, and it is now a popular area with members of the local community.

Memories and discussions will be showcased in an off-campus event, which will aim to help local people re-connect with the history and environment of the Binley Colliery site. The event will be linked to research focused on the evolution of community amidst de-industrialisation and change of purpose of the Colliery site.

Who will be involved?

• Project Lead: Mr. Pierre Botcherby, History (Oral History Network)
• Co-Applicant: Dr. Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla
• External Stakeholder: Warwickshire Wildlife Trust