The year 2007 marked Newbattle Abbey College’s 70th year of providing life changing educational opportunities for adults in Scotland. 

The College secured funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to set up an exhibition and multi-exhibition which tracks the social, economic and cultural journey of staff and students since opening in 1937.  The exhibition allows locals to get involved and learn about the College’s rich history, as well as demonstrating the unique educational opportunities available there.

Volunteers were recruited from local groups to undertake a variety of roles such as ICT, oral history interviewing, researchers, tour guides and environmentalists.  .

A special ‘thank you’ goes to the following volunteers who contributed to the project and gave so freely of their time, expertise and materials:

Frank Mitchell who spent many, many hours photographing and filming in the College and grounds and setting up the initial website.  Frank also spent countless hours in his ‘studio’ with Rae McGhee cutting, dubbing and mixing films, enhancing and running off photographs.

This project acknowledges the help and support of the New Curiosity Shop Online College and for its contribution to the website and multimedia presentation. For more information on the New Curiosity Shop please visit the website at: www.newcurioshop.com.

The ‘Webmaster’ Kenny Bell for the hours and hours dedicated to populating the website and ensuring that the content was correct.

Caroline Milligan and Sheila Findlay, our professional oral history interviewers, for training a crack team of volunteer interviewers and for sourcing on-loan equipment for the oral history project.  Also, for attending every Steering Group meeting!!

Dorothy Blackie proved to be a very dedicated Steering Group member who produced the Lothian family tree and for training as a volunteer interviewer and tour guide.

Volunteer interviewers and tour guides: Norman Brett and Kathleen Marshall who are enjoying being part of the newly formed Heritage Group.

Kate Duthie for her advice on the woodland and organizing a walking event.

Newbattle Abbey staff:  Gill, Kenny and Jackie for their support. 

Graham Snedden for his great ideas and enthusiasm in the setting up of the exhibition.

Housekeeping staff, especially Cathy, for providing catering for meetings and events.

Scottish Forestry Commission Rangers, Roddy McTavish and Miranda Grant, for advising on the woodland and text for multi-media.

 

Anyone else who helped from August to November 2007

THANKS VERY MUCH!!

 

For further information on the project or to become involved with the Heritage Group, please contact Rae McGhee on 0131 663 1921;
e-mail: raem@newbattleabbeycollege.ac.uk