Chelmsford, Essex – Today, The Over 50’s Black Men Forum(O5BM) organisation is thrilled to announce a £94,094 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to capture and preserve the rich, diverse experiences of black men over the age of 50 living in Essex.
The O5BM Oral History Project seeks to document the personal stories, cultural heritage, and historical contributions of black men in our community. Through a series of in-depth interviews, we will create an invaluable archive that reflects the unique journeys, challenges, and triumphs of these individuals.
The project will ensure that black voices of this often-marginalised demography are recorded and archived to ensure their experiences are not lost to time.
The project will intentionally focus on capturing black diasporic oral history and will be linked to the understanding of cultural traditions of the diasporans. This focus also links to personal heritage, in that most diasporans are descendants of colonised people and some of their stories are rooted in and linked to British colonial education and industrial development.
It will also serve as an important reminder to indigenous communities not to perceive the diasporans community as ‘takers and leeches on their local economic and social infrastructure, but to understand the economic and cultural contribution of diasporans.
Their stories will show the human resilience that connects us all in our shared journey across time and continents.
The project also relates to local and national heritage. By preserving local stories, it enhances local community identity and pride. Its national significance is the documenting of diverse narratives and expanding the historic record.
We are grateful to the generous support of National Lottery players and the Heritage Fund. Their commitment to preserving diverse histories has enabled us to undertake this important work. We are also grateful for the collaboration with local community organisations and volunteers who are dedicated to making this project a success.
This Heritage Fund-supported project will contribute immensely to O5BMs organisational sustainability in showcasing our commitment to heritage preservation as well as helping to benefit researchers, educators, and the public beyond the project’s duration.
We invite members of the community in Essex to participate in this project. Whether you are interested in sharing your story, volunteering, or attending our events, your involvement is crucial to the success of this initiative. Email us:sorosoke@o5bmforum.org.uk
Quotes
“We are thankful to the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and thankful to the money raised by National Lottery players in helping to capture and preserve our community stories for future generations.” – Chidi Umeano, O5BM Engagement and Partnership Manager
Notes to editors
About Us
The Over 50s Black Men Forum(O5BM) was formed in 2018 in Essex as a constituted non- profit community organisation to provide a support network and services for Black Men in the UK aged 50+ (https://o5bmforum.org.uk).
The organisation is a pioneering community organisation that is taking a leading role in bringing together older black men in identifying and addressing issues of concern to them, such as fear of isolation, loneliness, health issues, job security fears and anxiety of growing old.
It plays a leading role in offering services that helps the reduction in Economic, Health and Social inequalities faced by this marginalised demography.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.
Over the next ten years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.
We help protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.
We are passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Insta
Further information
For more information, please contact:
Edwina Chukura | Membership and Events Manager
Over 50s Black Men Forum
07488 352736 | edwina@o5bmforum.org.uk | https://o5bmforum.org.uk/
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