We are delighted to share that Ballast Hills Burial Ground has won a Newcastle University Engagement and Place Award in the category Engaging for Cultural Benefit.
The Engagement and Place Awards celebrate the connections, curiosity, and care that shape meaningful engagement between the University, partners, and wider communities. For Ballast Hills, this recognition reflects the collective work of volunteers, students, descendants, local residents, family historians, heritage partners, researchers, and community groups who have helped reconnect the burial ground with the people, histories, and responsibilities it continues to hold.
We were proud to be shortlisted alongside two inspiring projects: From Collections to Climate Change, led by Dr Kristin Hussey and Dr Clare Hickman, and Listening to the Voices of the Rivers, led by Dr Giuliana Borea. Together, the shortlisted projects show the richness of cultural engagement taking place across Newcastle University, from museums and environmental interpretation to Indigenous philosophies, community dialogue, and funerary heritage. More information about the 2026 winners and shortlisted projects can be found on the Newcastle University Engagement and Place Awards page.
This award comes at an important moment. The AHRC Curiosity Award funding that has supported this phase of the project comes to an end in June 2026, but the work will continue. The project has created a strong foundation for future research, interpretation, conservation, and community engagement.
We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to Ballast Hills Burial Ground with such generosity, knowledge, and care. Thank you to our partners, volunteers, supporters, and all those who have shared memories, research, questions, and commitment. This award belongs to the wider community of people helping to make Ballast Hills visible again.
