our working lives, then and now

In November 2008 digital:works was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Your Heritage Lottery Grant for the Our Working Lives project. Working in collaboration with a local community group and Poole Museum; capturing people’s experiences of leaving school and entering the workforce between 1945 and 1950 and comparing their experience with the present day. The project aim was to preserve the everyday local memories and make history seem alive and directly relevant to people’s lives. Moreover digital:works wished to further explore using digital storytelling as a heritage tool.

This report provides an evaluation of the ‘Our Working Lives’ project assessing whether the project met its aims and objectives and discussing lessons based on comments by participants, museum staff and volunteers.

The evaluation identifies that a wealth of stories and heritage awaits capture; that local networks and knowledge are vital for the successful involvement of communities and individuals; and that sufficient time needs to be allowed within projects for volunteer development and for contributors, particularly if they are elderly.

Feedback from the participants indicates an enthusiastic response to the project. ‘Brilliant’ one contributor commented, while another elaborated; “These oral histories allow people to learn what life was like in those days. It tells everyone what school, working life and the hardship of life was like all those years ago.”
The project adopted a balance of encouragement and practical support that was appreciated by participants. One contributor mentioned how this type of historical scene settings is ‘an engaging way for people to take things in’.

The project has shown how using digital stories can meet community and heritage needs and the agendas of local and central government. As a technique digital storytelling can build skills and offers a direct way of meeting HLF’s strategic objective of ‘Involving more people in decisions about heritage and in taking responsibility for identifying, sharing and caring for heritage’.

Our Working Lives evaluation (PDF download 2Mb)

This project and the ‘Way We Worked’ exhibition at Poole Museum have been featured in a double page spread in Bournemouth Echo last Tuesday November 15 issue.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:49 — 2.8MB)

Kayleigh was born in Lincolnshire in 1986. she went to a special needs school so did a course tailored to her ability. At the age of 16 she went on to Gainsborough College to study English and Business Studies. Kayleigh had always wanted to work with computers in administration having received careers advice at school.

The family moved to Dorset and Kayleigh continued her education at Twynham College. She did a further business course and obtained an NVQ2 in Business Administration. On leaving college she found a work placement at Weymouth & Portland Housing and was soon offered a permanent job. She has been there for three years now.

Kayleigh started off as a general admin assistant, sorting out stationary, placing orders, and seeing to the mail. She the took responsibility for collating papers and reports for board meetings – making photocopies of reports and sending out to board members. This meant copying as many as 50 pieces of paper twelve times, so that each board member had a pile of paper and then arranging for a courier to deliver this.

Her job has gradually developed as she took on more responsibility. The housing company has now joined a larger group, called Synergy Housing. Kayleigh now deals with insurance and similar matters. She has learnt everything on the job. She earns more money and still enjoys her job.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 14:33 — 8.3MB)

Eleanor was born in Nailsea, near Bristol. She left school with 3 A Levels and went to Leeds University to study journalism. Her ambition was to work in broadcasting or the media and she graduated from university with an honours degree.

Eleanor then struggled to find a job. She did a lot of unpaid work in radio hoping that relevant work experience would lead to a permanent position. She spent several months doing this, while also acting as a carer for a neighbour she liked. However she needed to earn money to pay off some of her student debts so she went to a temping agency. Nothing very satisfactory transpired and she ended up in a factory environment for a short time, doing recruitment. This she found was a rather daunting experience.

Eleanor then did some recruiting in a recruitment agency and felt that she was in a dead-end situation. Her original ambition to be a journalist had changed and she was uncertain which way to turn.

She was then offered a graduate job doing headhunting and in desperation she took it. The job progressed to PR, which she was pleased about, as it was relevant to her journalism degree. As it was in Bristol she was still living at home and longed for her independence. Unfortunately, the company folded due to the recession in December 2008, so her job only lasted for six months.

When she had worked in an agency her wage had only been £6 per hour. In her last job her salary was £16,000 per annum. The initial headhunting job was tough. There were four working in the office and Eleanor did the entire admin and office organisation. She arranged meetings, typed, proofread documents and saw to the post. She was given a sort of DIY pamphlet for headhunting and was shaped into the role. Occasionally she was allowed to have some input. The dress code was smart and casual.

At the moment Eleanor is working for an agency and she is only paid for the hours worked. There is no sick or holiday pay. She quite likes the job, but is worried that it has no prospects. It is a gloomy outlook in the present recession and she hopes that, like her grandmother and parents before her, she will bounce back and get a proper career structure.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:08:10 — 78.0MB)

View sonic bus tour in a larger map

This was the FINAL Our Working Lives event!

A unique, one-off, bus tour of Poole’s working landscape was organised. Where passengers got the chance to travel through time on a 1959 Routemaster bus for a mystery tour to hear a soundtrack of Poole’s working landscape.

The tour  took visitors to areas in Poole not usually visited by commercial tour packages. Snaking through Poole’s industrial estates, as well as other interesting features of Poole’s economic landscape. During the tour passengers could hear everyday people talk about their working life, about Poole history and how its infrastructure has developed. Mixed with life today and its possible economic future.

Download audio: http://www.archive.org/download/SonicBusTourOfPoolesWorkingLandscape/coachTrip.mp3

Start at Poole Museum

1. Head west on The Quay toward Thames St
2. Turn right to stay on The Quay
3. Continue onto W Quay Rd/A350
4. Continue to follow W Quay Rd
5. W Quay Rd turns slightly left and becomes Holes Bay Rd/A350
6. At Holes Bay Roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Broadstone Way/A349
7. Slight left onto Cabot Ln

Route to Creekmoor industry estate

1. Turn right onto Balena Close
2. Turn right to stay on Balena Close

Nuffield industry estate

1. Starting from Cabot Ln/A349
2. Head northeast on Cabot Ln/A349 toward Technology Rd
3. Continue to follow A349
4. Turn right onto Waterloo Rd/A349
5. At A349, take the 1st exit onto Dorset Way heading to Bournemouth/A3049/Ringwood/A348/Christchurch/Nuffield/Newtown
6. Keep left at the fork
7. Turn right onto Morris Rd (Destination will be on the left)

Starting from Nuffield Rd

1. Head north on Nuffield Rd toward Hatch Pond Rd
2. Take the 1st left onto Hatch Pond Rd
3. Turn right onto Stinsford Rd
4. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Canford Heath Rd/B3074
5. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Adastral Rd
6. Keep left at the fork
7. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto the A3049 ramp
8. Merge onto A3049
9. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Old Wareham Rd
10. Slight left onto Yarrow Rd
    Go through 1 roundabout
11. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Mannings Heath Rd
    Go through 1 roundabout
12. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Ringwood Rd/B3068
    Go through 1 roundabout
13. Turn right onto Albion Close
    Destination will be on the left

Starting from Fancy Rd

1. Head southeast on Fancy Rd toward Old Wareham Rd
2. Turn right onto Old Wareham Rd
3. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto A3049 heading to Poole/A350/Dorchester/A35/Upton/Hamworthy
   /Nuffield/Fleet
4. Take the exit toward Nuffield/Creekmoor
5. At A349, take the 2nd exit onto Fleets Ln
6. Continue onto Stanley Green Rd
7. Turn right onto Sterte Rd
8. Take the 1st left onto Holes Bay Rd/A350
9. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto West St/A350 heading to Hamworthy
10. Turn left onto New Orchard
11. Turn right onto High St

and back to Poole Museum.