Northern Ireland: EnrichNorthernIreland

A range of innovative Northern Ireland projects have received grants from the New Opportunities Fund to convert a wide spectrum of local material on subjects like history, science and culture into digital format to become a valuable learning resource on the Internet.

The projects will give local people access to all aspects of Northern Ireland society, past and present, through the creation of ground-breaking websites containing valuable photographic footage, important historical data, health information and training materials for young people.

Over the next few months, the groups and organisations funded by the digitisation programme will be gathering their material and putting it into place. You will be able to access their collections through the EnrichUK website.

In Northern Ireland, there is a wide variety of projects, all focusing on different elements. Here are some examples:

Belfast Exposed Community Photographic Group
Project Name: Belfast Exposed
http://www·belfastexposed·com
Belfast Exposed is a photographic archive documenting social, political and cultural life in Northern Ireland, catalogued with background information as a resource for local, regional and national community. Many of the photographs are supported by the words of participants and subjects.

Library & Information Services Council (Northern Ireland)
Project Name: Act of Union
http://www·actofunion·ac·uk
view records
A virtual library of material relating to and contemporary with the Act of Union which took effect in 1801 will be created. The project aims to improve community understanding of the Act by providing information on the arguments made at the time for and against.

Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA)
Project Name: Timescapes Online
http://www·timescapes·org·uk/demo/
Timescapes Online will document the evolution of Ireland from historical, social and cultural perspectives. It will cover 12 themes, which are traced along 11 major time periods.

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
Project Name: Freeholders Records Pre 1840
http://www·proni·gov·uk/freeholders/

The Freeholders' Records names all those who were entitled to vote at elections or those who actually did vote. The pre-1840 Freeholders Lists will provide an index of names providing wider and easier access to a unique resource for family and local history and for historical research. The names will be linked to digitised images.

Shell Livewire Northern Ireland Ltd
Project name: E-learning for Business
http://www·shell-livewire·org
Shell Livewire train young people who wish to set up their own business. This project will allow people to overcome barriers to training, allowing access to a comprehensive range of enterprise development materials and resources.

Ulster Historical Foundation
Project name: History from Headstones
http://www·historyfromheadstones·co·uk
History from Headstones will provide a computerised index and digitise an archive of 55,000 gravestone inscriptions and transcripts from 800 graveyards in Northern Ireland. There will be case studies on notable graveyards, which demonstrate how the local cemetery can act as a focal point for learning family, local and national history. This project will be invaluable as genealogical records were destroyed in Dublin in 1922.

address : New Opportunities Fund (Belfast Office)
EnrichUK Enquiries
3rd floor, 24 Linenhall Street
Belfast BT2 8BG
Enquiries: 0845 0000 124
email: general·enquiries(at)nof·org·uk
website: www·nof·org·uk