British Berlin Airlift

A Memory of North Luffenham.

PRESS RELEASE
Legasee wins Heritage Lottery support to record and exhibit the stories and memorabilia of British Veterans of the largest humanitarian airlift in history.
Legasee Educational Trust has today received £49,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for The British Berlin Airlift Project which will be based in East Anglia. Led by veterans of the airlift and working with young people, the project will focus on capturing the fascinating stories of 50 veterans of the airlift on film, culminating in an exhibition celebrating the 65th anniversary of the airlift, which will open to the public in August 2013.
The project will enable a group of young people from East Anglia, an area of strategic importance for the airlift, to discover the hidden stories behind this significant moment in Cold War history by interviewing the veterans themselves and accord them the recognition they deserve before it is too late.
Working with Legasee’s professional volunteers, young people will learn about the techniques of interviewing, filming, editing and transcribing through the capturing and archiving of filmed oral history. They will gain a deeper insight into the importance of this incredible event from the perspective of the British veterans who were part of it.Commenting on the award, Legasee Trustee Martin Bisiker said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and confident that finally this incredible story can be captured, the key role that British veterans played be recognised and that young people will be part of it.”
Explaining the importance of the project Robyn Llewellyn, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund East of England, said: “HLF are delighted to support Legasee Educational Trust in marking this significant part of East Anglian history and securing the fascinating stories of the veterans that were a part of it. The exhibition will enable the community to gain a deeper understanding of their rich local heritage.”
Legasee are looking to interview anybody who was involved with the Berlin Airlift itself or worked at the airfields in East Anglia at the time of the Airlift in 1948/49 and have a story to tell. Please call Martin on 02070339773 or email martin@legasee.org.uk if you would like to be part of the project or know some-one who should be.