National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £10,000 to £250,000
Twenty-six young people, many of whom were from Black British, Black African or Black Caribbean backgrounds, formed a steering group to shape how the project was delivered. This strong unit of young people were passionate about making change and teaching others about heritage, despite challenges caused by the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Over the course of 20 training sessions the young people learned the skills they would need to complete the project. They learned research skills and how to gather oral histories, as well as gaining a qualification in media and interviewer skills. The young people researched and contacted Windrush descendants and interviewed 13 of them.
The interviewees came from all walks of life, and the interviews explored their experiences as Windrush generation descendants and celebrated Caribbean Welsh heritage. The young people were also interested in whether subsequent generations had faced the same challenges as their first generation relatives.
One of the descendants said, “Being a part of this project has highlighted the importance of documenting people’s stories and celebrating heritage of all different kinds, to make people aware that they are part of a community.”
The outputs of the project were a film, a booklet in English and Welsh, and two virtual community events sharing what was learned.