LEA VALLEY HERITAGE ALLIANCE (FORMATION) 

The Lea Valley Heritage Alliance was conceived by Mr Lindsay Collier BEM MA, Dr Jim Lewis and Mr Ralph Ward to promote the untold industrial heritage story of London’s Lea Valley. The organisation was launched at City Hall in April 2017 accompanied with a booklet for the occasion, entitled, ‘Discover the Industrial Heritage of London’s Lea Valley’. This booklet provided an overview of the rich diversity of transport innovation and manufacturing development that originated in the Lea Valley.

Following this launch various ideas to promote this unique story further were proposed, one being a travelling exhibition, branded, ‘Made in the Lea Valley’. This was launched at the House of Commons in February 2020, at a meeting chaired by Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, attended by local politicians, representatives of, local government, the museum and heritage sector, and funding bodies. However, no further progress was made due to the COVID-19 pandemic that struck in March 2020.

On the easing of restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, it was considered that the best way forward was to develop a website to celebrate this unique story. This would allow informing a wider audience of the importance of the Lea Valley to industrial development. To take this work forward on a sustainable basis, it was decided to form a not-for-profit organisation. This was done in January 2025 by Mr Lindsay Collier BEM MA and Mr Allan Graveson MNM MSc BA.

Note: The Lea Valley Heritage Alliance has the support of the Mayor of London, local politicians, heritage groups, individual museums and attractions. The Alliance also has the support of the Lea Valley Park Authority, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and several historical groups.