A GROUP of teenagers are forging ahead with their investigation into the history of Waterlees over the past 100 years.

The Young Curators Forum have been delving into parish records and historic documents, collecting photographs and interviewing older residents to gather material for two exhibitions they are planning to put on next year.

The 18-month project is funded by a �21,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which is now looking for other schemes in Fenland to support (see panel). It is being run by Atelier East and the Wisbech and Fenland Museum, with extra support from Fenland District Council.

Forum members aged 13-17 meet regularly at the museum. Recently they have carried out research at Mount Pleasant cemetery and visited the Horniman Museum in London to gain ideas and inspiration.

Waterlees is currently the main focus of the project but the group is hoping to branch out into other parts of Fenland.

It will be visiting March on July 7 for a talk by Jennifer Lawler of the March Society and a tour of the town. A similar visit is planned to Chatteris on August 9, when teenagers will meet Jenny Furlong, the curator at Chatteris Museum.

At some point over the summer they are also looking to organise an event in Wisbech where they hope to encourage older people to share their stories and photographs.

If you have any suitable material for the project, e-mail youngartists@atelier-east.co.uk