Coastal Community Matters is our brand new (as of September 2024) project to capture many forms of local experience, knowledge and above all memories of coastal life. The aim is to identify changes in the environment, landscape and sense of place, in as many communities as possible around the bells. It follows the pilot project Coastal Connections that took place in Harwich and Morecambe during 2022 and 2023. Both have been generously funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
So we are recruiting! We need:
1. People who live close to our bells who are willing to spend a fair amount of time in 2025 talking to people in the community who have stories to tell about living and working on the coast. Have a look below to see examples of what we mean, from Harwich and Morecambe. The key need is for people who are good communicators and listeners, and natural networkers. Successful applicants will join a national network of their peers, with plenty of discussion, support and where necessary training to help things along. The job description, in English and Welsh, is
here.
2. A project administrator - someone from one of these communities who is really good at admin, and who can help the project run smoothly. The job description, in English and Welsh, is
here.
We will be accepting applications until October 18, and hope to complete recruitment by the end of 2024. At a pinch, one person could undertake both roles; this would amount to getting on for a full time role.
The pilot project created and collated interviews with local people who had grown up in the areas, recording their memories of living by and working on, the sea. It then worked to share these experiences and develop understanding of some traditional maritime skills with young people attending local schools, through practical workshops. The aim of this was to build intergenerational links between the two groups. The two maps linked below offer a virtual walk to listen to these memories. Click on the links to find numerous recordings.
