For immediate release
75 years of caring gets Heritage Lottery grant
They have been providing social care and support to the people of Worthing since 1933 and now local charity Guild Care will be celebrating their 75 years of service with a special history project, backed by a grant of £47,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Worthing has the highest proportion of people over the age of 85 in the country and the charity’s plan is to record the reminiscences of residents who have received help and support from Guild Care over the years. In addition to recorded interviews, photographs and other memorabilia will be collected and a booklet, DVD and website created.
The work will be used as a learning resource that will inform present and future generations about the needs of older people, unpaid carers, and of those living with poverty, illness and disability.
Case study material will be available to every school in the county through the Virtual Learning Environment on the web. The archive created by the project will be kept by the West Sussex Record Office.
A dozen trained volunteers will interview about 30 older people to collect their memories. Some 500 copies of the resulting DVD and 1000 booklets will be published for distribution to schools, local libraries and museums and to other care homes and older people’s community centres in and around Worthing.
This will help address the problem that Worthing Library reports a shortage of locally-based memorabilia, even though it is frequently requested by older people’s care homes. Local teachers should also benefit by having a new source of material for the National Curriculum study of ‘How life has changed in England since 1948.’
Guild Care’s Chief Executive Antonia Bunnin said: “This is a really exciting project, and a fascinating opportunity to hear the stories of people whose lives have been touched by Guild Care over so many years. Guild Care is a unique charity with a special place in the hearts of the people of Worthing. The launch of this oral history project is a fitting and important part of our 75th Anniversary celebrations. “
For the Heritage Lottery Fund, South East England Regional Manager Sheena Vick said: “The elderly people whose memories are captured and preserved for this project will have the satisfaction of knowing that their experiences are valued and these will help to inform and educate a wide range of people from more recent generations for years to come.”
Anyone interested in taking part in the project should contact Nicola Giles at Guild Care on 01903 528609 or email nicola.giles@guildcare.org
-Ends-
For further information contact:
Phil Cooper, Heritage Lottery Fund Press Office, on: 07889 949173 or
Samantha Goody, Heritage Lottery Fund Press Office, on: 020 7591 6033
www.hlf.org.uk
Julia Johnson, Communications Manager, Guild Care, on: 01903 529779 or email: Julia.johnson@guildcare.org
Photographs:
Archive photographs available from Guild Care
Notes to editors:
- Guild Care, established in 1933, provides an extensive range of innovative services for older people, people with dementia, carers and children with special needs. It is a local charity serving Worthing, West Sussex and surrounding areas. Guild Care’s ethos is to promote the independence, wellbeing and happiness of all those it works with.
- The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our nation’s heritage for everyone to enjoy. Since 1994 the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded over £378 million to more than 2,660 projects in South East England.
