Shapla organised and delivered a day of sessions and a historical presentation, to enable the elders to reflect on what SubCo means to them, as well as their histories and memories of Newham. This also allowed them to explore how they might go about conducting their own research into local history through using web and library archives.
Shapla writes that, "We had fifty-nine participants throughout the day. In the morning we gave the elders hearts to write a message on to say what SubCo means to them. I then delivered a PowerPoint presentation giving the history of Newham in pictures, and explaining how elders could use web and library archives to access information themselves. We followed this with workshops where they had to answer questions to identify their understanding from the presentation, and consolidate the training. Individuals understood that they could access information from a variety of sources, and enjoyed seeing how the local area had changed over time. They thought the session was helpful as well as bringing back memories that reminded them of good times."
Participant Feedback
"Green Street has changed so much, there was a bus station where the mall is now." "There were fewer shops and no Asian shops."
"There was a cinema in Green street."