Acocks Green History Society
About Acocks Green History Society
This page explains why we exist and what we set out to achieve.
The value of heritage
Heritage promotes understanding of and respect for the area people live in. It gives not only a sense of place but also reveals something of the sequence of human effort which has made the local environment what it is.
Heritage is important for those that have long experience of an area and are fond of it and committed to it. It is also
revealing and instructive for incomers. It is of vital importance to children and young people in fostering awareness and a sense of responsibility. We believe that local history can and should
be relevant to all sections of the community and welcome everyone.
Heritage is an important tool at the disposal of other community forces for good. When allied with efforts to improve the environment, natural history, amenity value, infrastructure and attractiveness of an area it adds substantially to the overall energy and impact of the community’s work to improve quality of life.
What we aim to do
We provide a programme of talks on local history and other historical subjects of interest.
We pursue research into the local area, inviting those with memories or archival material to make it available to us for study, care and/or publication on our website. Where desirable, we will make copies available to Acocks Green Library.
The Society can trace back its origins to the late 1970s. Since the 1990s it has been building up an extensive website for research and interest concerning Acocks Green and the wider community of Yardley (aghs.jimdo.com).
The Society gives talks on local history to a wide range of groups including schools.
The Society has worked with the Business Improvement District to produce three calendars featuring heritage photos of the area.
The Society is a partner in a bid to create a Conservation Area in Acocks Green and has produced histories of many of the local roads on its website.
The Society was a successful partner in a Heritage Lottery bid to create a local Heritage Trail with eight local history information boards around the area. Further reading on our website is accessible from QR codes on the boards.
The Society takes part in the Acocks Green Carnival and displays old maps, photographs, articles etc.
The Society works alongside the Friends of Acocks Green Library in promoting and defending the local library service.
The Society is a member of Acocks Green Village Partnership.
The organisation of the Society is informal, in that there is no subscription and no membership, but those attending make donations towards the costs of speakers, room hire, and other expenses involved in running the group’s activities. An annual summary/accounts page is produced, which those attending meetings can ask to see.
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