Help Tell Leicester’s Heritage Stories
Volunteers from Evington Echo, Soar Sound, Documentary Media Centre, Decentered Media and our wider network of partners and collaborators are invited to help capture the stories, conversations and activities at Military History Live on Friday 20th November and the Saturday Heritage Fair on 21st November 2026 at Leicester Adult Education.
These events offer an opportunity to meet people who care about Leicester’s history and heritage, discover the work of local groups, and help their stories reach a wider audience. We are bringing together volunteers who would like to record audio interviews, take photographs, write news reports or develop blog posts about what they discover.
You do not need to arrive as an experienced reporter. Curiosity, a willingness to listen and an interest in helping people share their knowledge are useful starting points. Experienced contributors are equally welcome, particularly those who would enjoy working alongside someone taking their first steps.
Learning Through Participation
Community reporting begins with a conversation. A stallholder might explain why they started researching a local building. A volunteer might describe the work involved in preserving an archive. A visitor might bring a memory that adds something unexpected to an exhibition. Our role is to listen, ask useful questions and help people tell those stories in their own words.
Taking part will offer practical experience of approaching an interviewee, explaining what a recording will be used for, seeking consent and asking questions that encourage a clear and engaging response. Volunteers can learn how to use a portable recorder, position a microphone and listen for background noise that might make a conversation difficult to hear.
There will also be opportunities to understand what happens after an interview: choosing a useful extract, adding context and preparing material for an editor or producer. Capturing a short, focused report is a skill that can be used again at community events, local meetings and activities organised by other groups.
Photographs That Help Tell the Story
Photographs can show the people, objects and details that bring heritage activity to life. Volunteers interested in photography can help document the events while learning how to think about a picture’s purpose, ask permission where appropriate and collect accurate names and captions.
A useful reporting photograph gives readers something to understand. It might show a researcher explaining a discovery, a volunteer demonstrating a technique or an object that prompts a conversation. Working with audio reporters and writers will help photographers see how their images contribute to a fuller account.
Turning Conversations Into News and Blog Posts
For those who prefer writing, the events provide material for short news reports, interviews, reflective blog posts and profiles of participating organisations. Volunteers can practise identifying the main point of a story, checking names and details, selecting quotations and explaining why an activity matters to local people.
There is room for different interests and approaches. Someone might follow a military history theme, while another contributor explores family memories, neighbourhood change or the work of heritage volunteers. Contributors can work together, sharing notes, recordings and photographs to develop material that is accessible and useful to readers and listeners.
Working Together Across Community Media
On Friday, the planned approach is to use portable recording equipment to speak directly with participants at Military History Live. On Saturday, we plan to combine a production base in the café area with reporters gathering interviews and stories around the Heritage Fair.
The final arrangements will reflect the volunteers and skills available. Audio may be prepared for Soar Sound’s Spotlight on Heritage programmes, with opportunities to develop written and photographic coverage for Evington Echo, Documentary Media Centre and other participating partners. Any live broadcasting will be confirmed separately.
This collaboration is also a chance to meet people working across community radio, local publishing and documentary media. We want volunteers to build confidence, share what they know and develop relationships that can continue beyond the two events. The people and organisations contributing their stories should be active partners in that process.
Get Involved
If you would like to take part on either or both days, please contact robwatson@decentered.co.uk. Let Rob know your availability, whether you are most interested in audio, photography or writing, and any experience or support needs you would like to discuss.
You are welcome to express an interest in trying something new. We will work with volunteers to agree suitable roles and explain the arrangements before the events.
