This year's festival theme, ‘Everyday Histories’, is presented by leading family history website, Findmypast. With billions of historical records and detail-packed newspaper archives from every corner of England, Findmypast is the perfect resource to help research local and family history.
Thanks to the support they’re offering the community, we're looking forward to a festival even more full of fascinating new stories. Building on that support, we're delighted to announce that Findmypast are also launching this competition to further celebrate the work of our Everyday History Heroes.
The prize
- Public recognition as England’s Everyday History Heroes.
- £1,000 to continue your work.
Who’s eligible?
A person, team, or organsation/place who:
- Work to uncover, preserve, and share stories of local history.
- Register an ‘Everyday Histories’ event for Heritage Open Days 2026.
- Used or intends to use Findmypast resources to research stories for their event.
At Findmypast, we’re passionate about bringing the stories of everyday people to life. That’s why we’re delighted to establish this brand-new ‘Everyday History Heroes’ competition as part of Heritage Open Days 2026. It’s a fantastic opportunity for local sites to shine a light on the rich, often overlooked histories in their area, gain well-deserved recognition, and inspire the public to uncover and understand the stories of their families and communities.
How does it work?
| Now |
Research and plan: Use Findmypast to research stories of Everyday History and plan an event to highlight them. (Nb. 100 free subscriptions are available for organisers to support this.) |
| By 25 June |
Submit an event: Register an event to share the stories for Heritage Open Days 2026. You must tick the theme + Findmypast research boxes on the registration form to be sent the nomination form. |
| By 30 June |
Submit your nomination: Send in your nomination - look out for an email from the national team with the link and details. |
| July | Shortlisting by Findmypast panel |
| 1 August - 1 September | Public vote |
| 3 September | Winners announced |
Additional support from Findmypast
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Free passes: 100 free 3-month subscriptions are available for organisers to access Findmypast's extraordinary database of records and valuable research tools.
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Resources: Webinars and downloadable guides are available for all organisers. Specially created for the festival by Findmypast's experts they introduce the different records available, highlight stories they can tell, and provide invaluable top tips and step-by-step guidance.
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Flagship events: Findmypast researchers are also collaborating directly with several local organisers across the country. They are currently diving into the records to uncover stories and will plan some extra special events together over the festival.
Find out more
- Everyday Histories theme resource hub – including the application form for the 100 passes.
- Findmypast guide to 'Getting started with family history'
- Get started with Heritage Open Days – join the festival community and register an event.
- Findmypast