Sheffield is looking to protect its world-famous toolmaking industry for generations to come after landing a major funding boost, for its new project Pride, Passion and Skills – Made in Sheffield.

This project centres around the Ken Hawley Collection Trust, based in Kelham Island Museum, and aims to capture disappearing crafts, protect historical industrial knowledge and inspire young people to take pride in their cities heritage and future.

Keith Crawshaw, chair of the collection trust, said: “This project will help preserve and share Sheffield’s world famous tool and cutlery heritage, while creating new opportunities for people to learn skills, participate and feel pride in the city’s manufacturing past and present.

“We are very grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the millions of National Lottery players who have made it possible for us to continue our celebration of Sheffield’s world- famous tool heritage.”                                               

This project will have film crews working alongside students from the University Technical College to capture skills and processes at six local companies.

They will create new digital films which will then be added to the foundation’s Youtube channel, which currently has over 13,000 followers.

Richard Jewitt, managing director of Footprint Tools in Sheffield, said: “We are excited that our partnership of six heritage companies can work with The Hawley Collection and groups in Sheffield to promote the Made in Sheffield brand and share our skills and products.”

The project will offer hands-on work experience for young people as well as an outreach programme for local communities as well as creating a refreshed website with hopes of increasing accessibility to those beyond the UK.

The project itself will showcase some of the least accessible items within the trust, such as the world’s largest collection of saws, for a worldwide audience.

Kelham Island currently holds over 100,000 objects which tell the story of the history of Sheffield’s light trades which has been built up over 30 years by Ken Hawley and is now cared for by volunteers.

Kim Streets, chief executive of Sheffield Museum Trust, said: “This important project builds on the brilliant work of the Ken Hawley Collection Trust volunteers; enabling them to harness the knowledge and skills of Sheffield’s making heritage, and bring the wonder of this extraordinary collection to more people and a new generation of visitors, both online and at Kelham Island Museum.