Why BALH?

Nick Barratt Historian and Author

Supporting your academic research

There is an increasing interest in local history as a key element of academic studies – not just the content that has been published by local historians over the decades as a key research resource, but also in co-produced projects. Grant-awarding bodies such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have placed an increasing emphasis on collaborations and partnerships when considering the award of research funding, and BALH provides the perfect platform for academic researchers to locate key groups and ongoing activity.

Nick Barratt, Historian and Author

Meet the team

Jack Southern Trustee

Jack Southern

Jack has a deep interest in the relationship between people, places, and local history, shaped by his upbringing on the Fylde coast. He studied local and regional history at Lancaster University before teaching in Hong Kong, later returning to complete postgraduate research at the University of Central Lancashire, focusing on communities and industrial decline in Lancastrian cotton towns. He collaborates with local history groups, artists, and the Lancashire Local History Federation to explore new ways of communicating history. Now a Public History and Heritage lecturer at UCLan, he is passionate about outreach and engaging wider audiences with local history.

Jack Southern, Trustee