We believe in community led projects and...

We Support diversifying heritage

meet the team

Amy

Amy recently graduated from the University of Reading with a First Class Law Degree; she is currently completing her Masters Degree in Legal Research. In 2018, Amy co-managed the pilot project for Broken Futures as a research internship in connection with the University of Reading and the Berkshire Record Office. This sparked her interest in legal history, surrounding the LGBT+ community; she is determined to strive towards setting the archival record queer!

Jessica

Jess has been volunteering with Support U for more years than she cares to admit; in 2017, Support U launched the Wolfenden Project and Jess joined the team as a Project Officer. The project researched the 60 year anniversary of the Wolfenden Report, which recommended the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality; the lesson plans, displays, and public discussions can be found here . During this project, she fell in love with archival research and the rest, as they say, ‘is history’.

Our Partners

National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund, partner to the National Lottery, focuses on supporting and developing heritage to inspire communities and promote cohesion. It supports organisations across the UK to deliver valued and necessary work in redeveloping heritage. We are so thankful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting this project!

Support U
Support U is an LGBT+ support and resource charity operating across Reading and the Thames Valley. Since it opened in 2011, it’s served over 30,000 enquiries and is best placed to provide support throughout the area on LGBT+ issues. The charity has been involved in two previous projects funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and continues to support that diversity matters!
The Berkshire Record Office
The Berkshire Records Office holds all the county records for Berkshire. With over 900 years of archival history, the Records Office provides a wealth of services in researching the past. We are so grateful for their support throughout this project and specifically Mark Stevens, the Country Archivist, who essentially founded the ideas for this project.
Reading Museum

Reading Museum has been displaying Reading’s history and art since 1883. They’ve have been committed supporters to Support U’s heritage and activism endeavours. Special thanks to Brendan Carr for diversifying the Reading Museum display and providing us with a venue for community talks!

University of Reading
Throughout Support U’s heritage research projects, the University of Reading has been a long standing supporter. They offer us invaluable resources and scholars working in the field of LGBT+ history. Dr Katherine Harloe, a co-creator of this project idea and liaision officer, has made such a big impact on the successes of the project and we are so grateful!
Museum of English Rural Life
The Museum of English Rural Life works alongside diverse communities to explore rural history; they are passionate about ensuring their museums display capture the many narratives of the people they represent. Thanks to Isabel and Rhi for their commitment to the Broken Futures Project!