Foreword
Established in May 2012, GRACE has harnessed the will and commitment of the local community to deliver a weekly programme of activities for people living with mental health issues, social problems, isolation, and trauma. GRACE provides learning, training, health and well-being activities, personal development, and physical pursuits for those in need of support, and we encourage members to engage in training or volunteering, which may lead to employment by increasing self-confidence and enhancing skills. We aim to benefit not only the individual but also other family members and the wider community.
During the Covid 19 pandemic, GRACE members were determined to continue group activities and successfully created innovative ways of doing this, whilst also learning new communication and IT skills. They also discovered a deep desire to record their own life experiences, which led to GRACE’s successful application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the creation of ‘Reflections of Trauma, Challenges, and Healing: An oral history’. This intergenerational history project captures the history of mental ill-health caused by experiences of trauma, which can have devastating long-term impacts on the lives of individuals, families and communities.
GRACE members and volunteers were at the centre of this project throughout. Some were trained by Dr Sue Morrison, a professional oral historian, to interview their friends and neighbours; others shared their stories and memories with us; whilst others worked with Ian Bustard, Rikki Traynor and Rachel Toner to create the project film, stage events, or organise exhibition materials. Other individuals contributed their own artwork, creative writing or poems. Sue also worked with Mark Downey and Adam Stevenson to create the project website, and with Rachel Kelly to write and edit the project book. Thank you, all.
Rachel Kelly coordinated the project activities on our behalf and worked with volunteers to produce written testimony and audio clips for the online oral history archive. These digital products are available to view on the project website.
We are immensely grateful to National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Lottery Players, Oral History Research & Training Consultancy, Communities Past & Futures Society, and William Patrick Library for their generous support, and we extend our deep gratitude to everyone who participated in this hugely successful project.
