A HERITAGE trail, a storybook and remembrance day event will be among activities taking place as part of a pioneering £79,000 history project.

A new two-year initiative will explore transatlantic slavery and Inverclyde's role in it, helping local people develop the skills to understand and interpret it.

The Legacies of Slavery will include creating a heritage trail for the community and visitors.

It will also see care-experienced young people developing a storybook on Inverclyde’s legacies of slavery and visiting the McLean Museum to explore the collections for themselves.

A special remembrance day event will include music, food, guided walks and storytelling.

The programme is being run by Inverclyde Community Development Trust and has been funded by a £79,000 grant from the National Lottery Fund.

Saskia McCracken, of ICDT, said: "We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are confident the project will get volunteers of all ages from across Inverclyde taking an active role in engaging with local heritage and addressing the legacies in the area relating to the transatlantic trade of enslaved people.”

Caroline Clark, of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, added: “We are impressed that Inverclyde are actively seeking to engage with our nation’s history in relation to slavery and the role of Inverclyde in that story.

“This strong partnership of community groups will help to bring a breadth of approach and perspective in how to tackle the complex stories participants will encounter and seek to interpret. Empowering a wider range of people to engage with heritage is a key priority for The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is why we are proud to support the Legacies of Slavery project.”

The project will partner with fantastic community organisations including Proud2Care, Magic Torch Comics, Inverclyde Council, Greenock Zero Waste Community Pantry, Empower Women for Change, local walking and cycling groups, Inverclyde Voices and others.

It will be overseen by a steering group which the public can join, and will include community members and organisations.

To find out more or get involved, you can contact the project’s volunteer co-ordinator by emailing saskia.mccracken@the-trust.org.uk