There are over 29 million refugees around the world, and more than 100 million people have been displaced. The majority are children. These are just some of the current facts about refugees. Yet historically, refugee movements are nothing new. In times of war, famine and climate crisis, people have long...

‘History of all, for all’ is at the heart of the HA’s vision. That includes the histories of marginalised and discriminated groups, as well as the rich diversity of communities past and present. Marking Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month is an important part of that commitment. The month brings...

This Volunteers’ Week we want to say a huge thank-you to all our wonderful volunteers. The Historical Association – now 120 years old – could not continue to exist and to provide ‘history of all, for all’ without you. Volunteers form all of our committees and working groups, run our branches around the...

Like the light and the swallows, we headed northwards this year to Gateshead and Newcastle and as they would say up there ‘it was a belter’. For those with a taste for the medieval, or even just a desire to spread their wings in the North-east region, we had organised...

Each year, the Historical Association runs ‘Young Quills’, a competition for published historical fiction for children and young adults (14+). The Young Quills books for each year must be published for the first time in English in the year preceding the competition – so 2025 for this year’s selection. Our...

(and some planning ahead for 2027)  May is Local and Community History month. For 2026 we are linking it to the National Year of Reading by looking at the importance of writers and local records to historians for bringing a place to life. Places change: that is inevitable and also...

In the aftermath of horrific antisemitic attacks in recent times in Britain and across Europe, the government is seeking to better understand the extent of antisemitism in British schools. An independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges in England, led by Sir David Bell, has launched a call for...

In March 2026 the British government published its policy paper on community cohesion: Protecting What Matters: Towards a more confident, cohesive and resilient United Kingdom. The paper asserts that ‘throughout our history, the UK’s ability to withstand external challenges has been underpinned by a strong social fabric’. It goes on...