The vote is now closed. The winners will be announced on 10 September 2026.
From art galleries to burial grounds, organisers across the East Midlands have brought fascinating local histories to life using Findmypast. Their hard work in preserving these stories reveals how powerful and moving local history can be.
Newark Town Hall
For Newark Town Hall's volunteers, local history begins with ordinary people. Their 2026 Heritage Open Days event, Books, Bonnets and Bathing in a Slipper, uses Findmypast family trees to reveal the lives of residents whose stories might otherwise have been lost to time. Their unexpected discoveries paint a vivid picture of Newark's past.
Friends of Nottingham Road Cemetery
Nottingham Road Cemetery is one of Derby's most important historical archives. Its volunteers uncover the lives of those buried there and the people who cared for them. Their 2026 Heritage Open Days event focuses on cemetery and funeral staff, using Findmypast's census, military and newspaper records to celebrate these often-overlooked roles.
Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group
Research into a remarkable quilt offers a window into hundreds of lives. Their 2026 Heritage Open Days exhibition explores the stories behind the Alexandra Bedspread, a community fundraising project created to support a local memorial. Set within the former generating station, the exhibition uses the 1921 Census to reveal how residents came together to shape their town's future.
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