New Voices for Old Stories
New Voices for Old Stories is our youth-led heritage programme, which supports young people in investigating our heritage and the heritage of the area, and reframing old stories from the past 100+ years into new voices.
The programme provides a free, creative and fantastic opportunity for young people to learn about culture and heritage and how to bring it to life!
It supports young people in getting skilled up in digital storytelling, archival skills and digitisation.
It’s a chance for them to learn how to use modern platforms to reinterpret old stories that resonate with them.
Benefits for Young People
- develop research skills
- project management training
- leadership skills
- boost cv/statements
- fun and exciting activities
- make new friends
- socials and more
New Voices for Old Stories looks into the history of Aston-Mansfield since the Aston Charities Trust’s inception in 1884 and the establishment of the Mansfield House University Settlement in 1889.
The programme is a chance for young people to explore the differences and similarities between them and young people who have lived in the same area throughout the last 100+ years.
So far, the programme has delivered five exciting projects:
On this page, you can explore each of the five projects, enjoy the exciting creations of our young people and see the inspiration behind them with photos and documents from our archives.
The projects cover a range of topics, looking at how the area and our work have changed over the years, and the many connections and similarities young people today share with the young people of previous generations.
Join New Voices for Old Stories
Interested or know a young person who would benefit from the programme?
Get in touch today, email:
The young people share these old stories with their voices, using a range of digital, in-person and multi-media creations, including: in-person trips, videos and digital artwork, physical scrapbooks (digitised here) and more.
The Brownies at Pagham July 1927 > The Tide of Sisterhood Scrapbook
A photo album from 1927 of a brownies trip inspired a girls project to re-enact a girls trip to the seaside. A scrapbook ‘The Tide of Sisterhood’ with quotes and photos of then and now was created to celebrate the identity and strength of women and within its pages you’ll find voices from different generations – children, mothers, grandmothers – sharing memories. Advice and what womanhood means to them today.
Boy's and Men's Club > The Mind & Motion Vlog
The Mind & Motion Club vlog was inspired by the many activities for Boy’s Club–one of the most successful in Europe in the 1930s–part of The Mansfield House University Settlement, founded by Oxford University in 1889.
Activities such as boxing, cricket and snooker were offered to encourage young men to be physically active.
The photos and activities inspired the young people from New Voices for Old Stories to have conversations about how that would be interpreted in current times and their interpretation included how today, physical activity is not only encouraged for keeping fit but also as a means to maintain good mental health.
The vlog is a homage to the camaraderie of young men and doing activities that maintain a social bond but also encourage good physical and mental health.
Lambourne End > Trip and Collage
Young people decided to highlight the special relationship between Lambourne End and Aston-Mansfield as well as the importance of being outdoors and in nature.
The young people were interested in stories of children from impoverished backgrounds being sent to the countryside for respite from the pollution filled skies of east London.
The issues that were prevalent in the early twentieth century still stand today in Newham such as overcrowded housing, disadvantaged communities and high poverty.
A trip to Lambourne was organised by the young people to support children and their families experience activities that may not otherwise be accessible to them.
Froud Centre > 35th Anniversary Community Event
To celebrate the services and programmes that have been delivered at Aston-Mansfield Community Centre formerly known as Froud, young people decided to plan and deliver a community event to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Centre. The day echoed activities of the past to cater for children, young people and members of the community.
Combatting Criminality in Manor Park (Success Story) > Crime and the Community Videos
Crime and Community (Interview with Young People)
Six preventative to keep your belongings safe!
The crime and community project was inspired by the case studies young people found in the archives in combatting crime in Manor Park as well as the positive activities delivered in Aston-Mansfield Community Centre (formerly known as Froud). Interviews and video skits were produced exploring young people’s experience growing up in Newham and their thoughts on youth crime.
Join New Voices for Old Stories
Interested or know a young person who would benefit from the programme?
Get in touch today, email: info@aston-mansfield.org.uk
Our Funding
New Voices, Old Stories is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to support our young people to explore our heritage and reframe stories in new and exciting ways.
About the National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage.
“Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations.”
“We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.”