Leicester’s heritage is held in its people, places, collections and everyday memories. Local groups, volunteers and residents have knowledge that can help us understand how the city has changed and what matters to the people who live here.
Military History Live and Leicester Heritage Fair, taking place on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st November 2026, provide an opportunity to explore how these stories can reach a wider audience through community radio, audio interviews, photography and local reporting.
Through Soar Sound and the Leicester Local News Innovation Lab, we’re inviting people to find out what taking part could involve. You might be interested in interviewing someone, helping to record an event, taking photographs, developing a short piece of writing or supporting the people working behind the scenes.
You don’t need to arrive with broadcasting experience. The starting point is curiosity, a willingness to listen and an interest in helping people share their stories.
The Events
Military History Live
- Friday 20th November 2026
- Leicester Adult Education Centre, Belvoir Street, Leicester
- Programme times to be confirmed
Leicester Heritage Fair
- Saturday 21st November 2026, 10am–3pm
- Leicester Adult Education Centre, 54 Belvoir Street, Leicester
- Free admission
Our aim is to use the events as a practical setting for introductory community reporting activities. The recording arrangements, volunteer roles and opportunities for broadcast are being developed with the event and production teams.
Find Out More at a Zoom Briefing
We’re offering two introductory Zoom briefings. Each will cover the same material, so you only need to attend one:
- Wednesday 11th November, 2–3pm
- Monday 16th November, 7–8pm
Both times are UK time.
The briefings will explain what we’re planning, what volunteers could contribute and what they might gain from a taster session. There will be time to ask questions, discuss interests and identify any support needed to take part.
We welcome interest from Heritage Hub Network members, Leicester Active Network, the Community Health network, community organisations and individual volunteers. Although the immediate events focus on heritage, the skills involved can also help people tell stories about neighbourhood life, physical activity, health initiatives, arts and culture.
To receive the Zoom joining details, join our WhatsApp group. We’ll use the group to share briefing information and practical updates. Please bear in mind that joining a WhatsApp group can make your phone number visible to other group members.
What Taking Part Could Involve
Community reporting brings together a range of activities. Some people enjoy speaking to contributors or presenting an interview. Others prefer researching a subject, organising material or helping a recording run smoothly.
Possible roles include:
- Researching stories: Finding out about a group, collection, activity or local person and identifying useful questions.
- Interviewing: Listening carefully, asking open questions and helping contributors explain their experiences in their own words.
- Recording audio: Learning how microphone position, background noise and recording levels affect the result.
- Writing and scripting: Preparing a short introduction, a description of an activity or a link between interviews.
- Editing and organising: Selecting useful sections, checking names and facts, and keeping recordings clearly labelled.
- Photography: Making images that help tell a story, with appropriate permission and accurate captions.
- Production support: Welcoming contributors, helping with equipment, keeping track of the running order and supporting setup and pack-down.
There will also be opportunities to discuss observing or assisting before taking on a more involved role. We want people to find a useful starting point that suits their interests and confidence.
Skills and Experience to Build On
A taster session can help participants begin developing practical media skills while working alongside others.
These include planning a short interview, recording clear speech, structuring a story, recognising what needs checking and understanding the importance of consent. Working as part of a small production team also develops communication, coordination and problem-solving skills.
Responsible reporting will be part of the approach. Contributors should understand how their words and images may be used, and material needs appropriate checking before publication or broadcast. Taking part does not guarantee that every recording will be used, but it can provide a starting point for further learning and supported practice.
The wider benefit is confidence: becoming more comfortable asking questions, listening to unfamiliar experiences and recognising the value of local knowledge.
Building Viable Local Media From the Middle
These activities are part of a growing network approach to building viable local media from the middle.
Community organisations, volunteer groups, local publishers and independent broadcasters already hold relationships, knowledge and practical experience. Connecting those strengths can help more people contribute to public life and make useful local information easier to find.
A heritage group might contribute knowledge of a place. A volunteer might learn to interview someone about it. A community broadcaster can help prepare the recording for listeners, while a local publication can develop a related written story. Each contribution adds something that the others could not easily provide alone.
Over time, this depends on shared skills, reliable working relationships, editorial care and sustainable resources. A short recording at a local event can be a first step towards those longer-term connections.
Join the Conversation
If you’re interested in local stories, want to try a practical media activity or would like to explore how your organisation could contribute, join one of the introductory briefings.
Join the WhatsApp group to receive your Zoom link, then choose Wednesday 11th November, 2–3pm, or Monday 16th November, 7–8pm.
Bring your questions, your interests and any ideas for stories you think deserve to be heard.