A PROJECT to celebrate the lives of iron and steelworkers has received a massive boost at plans forge ahead.

Kirkleatham Museum has been awarded £69,800 of National Lottery funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to continue working in partnership with Teesside University on preserving the history of the industry.

The team will collect memorabilia and stories for an exhibition called Year of Steel at Kirkleatham Museum, near Redcar, which will then go on tour.

Work has already started on the project and it is expected the exhibition will open next year.

The scheme is being led by Professor Natasha Vall, head of humanities in the school of social sciences, humanities and law, and Dr Joan Heggie, a research fellow and formerly the project manager of the British Steel Archive Project.

Prof Vall said: “We are very pleased that the University has been able to assist this project with academic expertise and student support and are confident that the exhibition will play a vital role in enshrining the region’s industrial heritage.”

The academics will work with students, museum staff and members of the public to draft the framework for the oral history project and continue interviewing people from across the community.

Councillor Carl Quartermain, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's cabinet cabinet member for tourism, culture and communication, said: “Our proud steel and iron history must never be forgotten. This project is very important to ensuring that history is kept alive and I am especially pleased that the stories of people directly affected by the closure of SSI will be a crucial part of the project.”

For more information on Steel Stories contact steelstories@tees.ac.uk