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Our Morrab Memories project has been awarded £16,300 by Historic England's Everyday Heritage grants programme - giving us an exciting opportunity to capture our communities memories about Morrab Gardens and preserve them for future generations.
Morrab Gardens is a much-loved community garden and as part of the community of Penzance since 1841, many people have stories and memories relating to these beautiful sub-tropical gardens in the heart of the town.
This funding will allow us to collect, record and share memories about Morrab Gardens, creating a record of these stories for posterity and preserving their importance within our community.
We will host three events which will help to spark those memories - based on the food, music and celebrations in the stories - and we will host them in the gardens.
And finally, we will commission an artist - working with Humphry Davy School, a local secondary school - to make a film based on the stories.
All the work created during the project – including a film to be made with a local secondary school - will ensure stories about Morrab Gardens and what they mean to the local community will be kept for future generations.
Launched in 2022, the Everyday Heritage programme aims to celebrate working class histories. This time, projects have a focus on buildings or places in rural and coastal locations. The programme has already funded over 100 projects, totalling £1.8 million.
Miki Ashton, project director for The Gardeners' House, said: "I am delighted that we have been awarded this funding from Historic England - we are very grateful to be given the opportunity to roll out our Morrab Memories project. This is something we have wanted to do for a very long time. It's been on our wishlist to capture and record the stories of Morrab Gardens from people in Penzance, and this money finally allows us to do this.
She added: "The Gardeners' House project is all about celebrating the stories and landscape of West Cornwall and this project is the perfect marriage of that aim. Morrab Gardens is so important to the town, and almost everyone who lives here will have a story to share! We are now able to capture just some of these memories, and to share them with the people of our town."
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England, said: “Across England we are all surrounded by inspiring historic buildings, landscapes and streets, rural and coastal heritage. These projects will shine a light on the stories of local, working-class people and their extraordinary contributions to our shared history.
“Connecting with our heritage helps us to feel that we belong and to feel pride in our local area. This programme gives communities the opportunity to recognise and celebrate their history in their own way, and to share untold stories about the places where they live so they can be enjoyed by more people, for longer.”
Heritage Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: "The best bits of history are undiscovered nuggets that surprise us or make us think again. Everyday Heritage grants enable people across the country to dig up those nuggets and share them with a wider audience."
