There have been several dimensions to community involvement in the project:
The services of an organised and reliable voluntary daily workforce for the duration of the excavation.
All local schools are given the opportunity to visit the excavation and to see the archaeologists at work. Campion Upper School, Weedon & Flore Junior Schools, and others have visited the site for guided tours and to participate in the excavation. The local cub & beaver packs have also visited the site as part of their summer camp. Several sixth form students applying to study Archaeology at University have also attended the excavation.
Harpole Historical Society visited the site and further lectures have been organised for Weedon, Wellingborough, Harpole and Nether Heyford. The offer of a free talk is also available for each of the other village communities involved through volunteers or membership of CLASP.
The Chairman/Leader of South Northants District Council visited the site and displayed interest in the development of the project.
The first open day, in 2000, was a great success and between 700 and 1,000 people attended. A list containing the names of over 50 local people who wish to volunteer to take part in the next year's excavation and fieldwork was collected. Later Open Days have attracted even more interest.
Material support, including a range of equipment and expertise, has come from local sources. Look here for details.
Three people have expressed interest in undertaking research or post-graduate study on the environmental, field boundary and historical development of the landscape from the medieval to modern era.
Publicity for the Project has been widespread:
The project has received coverage in the Northampton, Daventry and Milton Keynes newspapers and was featured in Image magazine, a countrywide publication.
Two requests for articles have been made by the Council for Independent Archaeologists and Northamptonshire Local History News.
Radio Northampton broadcast a live afternoon show from the excavation.
Open Days have been covered by BBC Look East, Radio Northamptonshire and local newspapers. The 2003 open day was promoted as part of a national summer campaign to raise awareness of archaeology by the Council for British Archaeology.
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