Background to Garnock Connections

The Vision of the Garnock Connections Landscape Partnership (GCLP) is of a landscape with the River Garnock at its heart, forming a connection from the Muirshiel hills to Irvine Bay and around which the natural, cultural and historical wealth of the valley is enhanced, revealed and made accessible for the benefit of communities now and in the future.

The Garnock Connections area has many, largely unknown, sites of natural and historical significance. Hen harriers can be found on the Muirshiel uplands, and the saltmarshes and mud flats of the unusual double estuary at Irvine provide a vital overwintering refuge for wading birds. The estuary was also once home to the largest dynamite factory in the world. Further inland, the master craftsmen of Beith supplied furniture to ocean liners such as the RMS Queen Mary and the RMS Queen Elizabeth II. Any one of these cultural or natural heritage features should be considered nationally significant in their own right. However, it is the combination of all of them, sharing a rich history of adaptation and change, shaped by the landscape, and linked by the river, which makes the Garnock Connections Landscape Partnership area a truly significant and unique place.

The unique heritage of the Garnock Connections area currently faces a range of local, national, and international threats, from economic deprivation to climate change. However, the various forces for change acting on the area also provide a range of opportunities for people to engage with their heritage and help ensure its survival long into the future.

The 25 projects within the Garnock Connections Landscape Conservation Action Plan (LCAP) are divided into four delivery Themes, linked to the four Garnock Connections Objectives. Through delivering the Community Network theme, people will develop strong connections with their heritage. Through delivering the Knowledge Network theme, heritage will be better understood and valued. Through delivering the Access Network theme, people and place within the landscape will be better connected. Through delivering the Habitat Network theme, habitats and species networks will be enhanced.

Garnock Connections will be delivered by a small team of staff supporting Project Leads from a range of organisations and community groups. Strategic oversight will be provided by the GCLP Board and operational support will be provided by the GCLP Steering Group and specialist Working Groups. The people and communities of the Garnock Connections area are at the core of the programme, and the scheme includes a range of opportunities for training, volunteering, learning and other forms of engagement.

The GCLP has recently secured funding from the HLF Landscape Partnership grant programme to deliver Garnock Connections over a four-year period, from April 2018 – March 2022. www.garnockconnections.org.uk

As Oral Histories Assistant, your role will be to assist in the delivery of Garnock Connections' Working Voices project. The role will be predominantly home based, with travel to the Garnock Connections office, project landscape and partner organisations as required.

As a trainee, you will have access to extra training and support in order to develop your skills and employability within the heritage sector.

Responsibilities

• Assist with the recruitment and management of volunteers to record oral histories.
• Assist with the research of the industrial and local history of the area to identify subjects of interest.
• Assist with the networking with local groups and individuals to recruit interviewees.
• Assist with the transcribing and proper archiving of recordings and associated material.
• Prepare material from the recordings for special exhibitions, loan exhibitions and other displays as required.
• To work in all such locations as required for the effective performance of the duties of Project Assistant.
• To assist in the delivery of training sessions for organisations and individuals in the area keen to undertake their own programme of recordings.
• Liaise with colleagues and partners and keep up to date with various projects
• Contribute to other cultural heritage and interpretation projects
• Assist in running virtual events over Teams, Zoom, Facebook Live, etc
• Contribute to regular reports, newsletters, press releases, etc

Essential Criteria

Be able to evidence

• Educated to GSCE level or equivalent
• an organised and methodical approach to with an eye for detail
• the ability to prioritise tasks, work independently and on your own initiative but also as part of a wider team
• Some knowledge of the theory, practice, and ethics or recording oral histories
• Motivation and creative flair

• Excellent organisational, time and project management skills
• Demonstrable high levels of interpersonal and communication skills and confidence in dealing with a wide range of staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders.
• Competent IT user (e.g. MS packages, Outlook etc)
• The ability to communicate about the project in a passionate manner
• An ability to produce clear written communications and reports
• Financial reporting including gathering information for claims

Desirable Criteria

• An interest or background in industrial or social history.
• An interest in community heritage and archaeology
• A full driving licence or other means of travelling around the project area