The Club announced the first awards of Jean Guild Grants at its AGM on 20 September at the City Chambers, improving research into the history of Edinburgh and bringing history to life and improving access to historical resources.
Project awardees and their topics are:
- James Gillespie’s High School – Gaelic in Edinburgh – A History
- Northlight Productions – Visiting 1700s Edinburgh through virtual photography and
- Trinity Network – Reviving the Trinity Stones (fragments of the medieval royal collegiate church).
Researchers gaining funding are:
- Jenny Bruce – Linen Weavers in Edinburgh
- Graeme Cruickshank – Port Hopetoun, the Union Canal Basin
- Charlie Ellis – Table Tennis in Edinburgh
- Naomi Wells – History of the South Bridge.
Dr Ted Duvall, President of Club, said: “We were delighted with the number, range and especially the quality of the applications we received. Every application had its strong points but our funds are limited and we had hard choices to make. In launching the programme we have entered uncharted territory and we are determined to help ensure that it has an impact and that we learn for future years.
“The grants programme is named after Jean Guild, a senior librarian at the University of Edinburgh and a long-term member of the Club, who left a legacy to the Club. We are extremely grateful for her generous donation. This is enabling the Club to fulfil our mission to promote research and interest in the history of Edinburgh and do this in new and imaginative ways.”
The Club will review the exercise and consider running it again in future.
The Fund was open to:
- local history or heritage groups and organisations
- schools and colleges
- independent researchers, post-graduate students and early career researchers.
We sought projects with lasting benefits which can also help us raise the profile of the Club and attract new members.
Reporting
We shall set up agreements for each project, setting out mutual responsibilities, including payment of grant and project milestones.
Ordinarily, we do not expect close involvement with projects we fund – although a nominated Trustee will liaise with each successful award to help ensure successful delivery.
Past projects
The Club has funded several projects, in their entirety or in part, in the past. More details here.