The Partition Memorial Trust has been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Partition Memorial Trust has been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to preserve and share 1947 Partition heritage in Harrow and across London ahead of the 80th anniversary
Today, The Partition Memorial Trust, in partnership with the SOAS History Department, SOAS Library, alongside community partners Everyday Muslim Heritage and Archive Initiative, Pothohar Association, and A Little History of Sikhs, is announcing support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to launch ‘Remembering Partition: Community Memory, Archive and Learning’. The landmark 18-month project will safeguard and share the lived and intergenerational heritage of the 1947 Partition of British India, strengthening its recognition within British history and local community narrative.
As the 80th anniversary of Partition approaches in 2027, much of this history remains held in personal family memories and private collections across Harrow and wider London, where it faces an urgent risk of loss. First-hand testimonies from elderly survivors are disappearing, while fragile material evidence—such as photographs, letters, travel documents, textiles, and everyday objects—risks damage or being forgotten without formal cataloguing and digital archiving.
Without this vital funding from the Heritage Fund, these ancestral stories, migration journeys, and family heirlooms could remain undocumented and lost forever. Delivered through multi-generational community participation and volunteer training, the project safeguards living heritage across three core pillars:
Oral Histories: Recording 25 oral histories that capture first-hand accounts of home, displacement, separation, migration, and rebuilding lives in Harrow and Britain.
Material Heritage & Digital Archiving: Collecting, digitising, and cataloguing approximately 100 digital records from family-held photographs, letters, identity documents, textiles, and personal objects, documenting their provenance and historical context.
Learning & Education: Creating an accessible Digital Hub featuring learning resources, teacher CPD materials, podcasts, social media content, and a public exhibition with Virtual Reality (VR) experiences.
The project directly advances inclusion, community representation, and skill-building by involving Harrow residents as contributors, volunteers, advisers, and co-interpreters. Ten local volunteers will receive structured training in heritage skills.
The project's lasting legacy will be secured through a 10-year digital output maintenance plan, with a permanent digital preservation copy deposited at SOAS Library.
The project's lasting legacy will be secured through a 10-year digital output maintenance plan, with a digital preservation copy deposited at SOAS Library.
Sadiya Ahmed, Founder at The Partition Memorial Trust, said: "As we approach the 80th anniversary of Partition in 2027, preserving these lived experiences and family heirlooms is more urgent than ever. The histories of displacement and rebuilding after 1947 are an integral part of modern British and Harrow history. Thanks to National Lottery players and funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we can work alongside local residents and partners to ensure these precious memories are archived, taught, and honoured for generations to come."
Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "Thanks to National Lottery players, we are delighted to support The Partition Memorial Trust's important work to preserve and share the stories, memories and heritage of those affected by the 1947 Partition. By capturing oral histories, safeguarding treasured family archives and creating new learning resources, this project will help ensure these important memories are recognised, understood and passed on to future generations."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About Partition Memorial Trust
The Partition Memorial Trust (Registered Charity No. 1215821) promotes remembrance, commemoration, and education about the enduring legacy of the 1947 Partition of British India and its impact on South Asian communities in Britain. First proposed during the 75th anniversary of Partition at London City Hall, with initial support from the Mayor of London’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, the Trust delivers heritage initiatives, public programming, and educational resources, including London’s Empire and Partition Heritage Trail. Supported by an expert Advisory Board, the Trust works to preserve living memories, engage communities through creative heritage projects, and realise its long-term vision of establishing a permanent memorial space in London to honour the human stories and intergenerational history connecting Britain and South Asia.
About SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies): SOAS University of London is a world-leading institution for the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The SOAS History Department and SOAS Library provide historical expertise and archival guidance for heritage initiatives.
About Everyday Muslim Heritage and Archive Initiative: Everyday Muslim Heritage and Archive Initiative is a grassroots community archive project focused on documenting, preserving, and sharing the history and heritage of Muslim communities across the United Kingdom.
About Pothohar Association: Founded in 1970, The Pothohar Association UK is a community organisation dedicated to preserving the history, culture, and heritage of people with origins in the Pothohar region who were displaced during the 1947 Partition of British India. The Association works to record oral histories, foster intergenerational connections, and promote cultural awareness through exhibitions, educational projects, and archive initiatives.
About A Little History of the Sikhs: Founded in 2014 by researcher Rav Singh, A Little History of the Sikhs is a UK-based community heritage initiative dedicated to uncovering, preserving, and sharing Sikh, Anglo-Sikh, and Panjabi history. Working alongside a collective of guides, academics, and cultural practitioners, the project delivers innovative educational walking tours, study visits, research, and learning resources across London, the UK, and Europe.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
By 2033 we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
heritagefund.org.uk
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For further information, images, and interview requests, please contact The Partition Memorial Trust email partitionmemorial@gmail.com
