The idea
Willenhall History and Heritage Society is creating a more accessible way for local people to connect with the town’s rich past. With your support, we will safely store our growing collection of artefacts at the Willenhall Chart Centre and make a rotating selection available for the community to explore each month. We’ll run regular evening sessions where residents can come together, share memories, view historical items, and enjoy a friendly cup of tea. We are also developing an online index so schools, groups, and individuals can easily see what we hold and request viewings of specific items. This project will help preserve Willenhall’s heritage and bring local history to life for everyone.
What we'll deliver
- Safe, secure storage of Willenhall History & Heritage artefact collection
- Monthly public artefact viewings
- Monthly community heritage evenings where people can meet, share memories, view selected pieces, and connect
- Develop an online index, allowing the community to browse the collection digitally and request items to view.
- A more accessible heritage offer, ensuring local history is open to everyone
Why it's a great idea
This project will help protect and celebrate Willenhall’s rich heritage by ensuring our artefacts are safely stored and preserved for future generations. By opening up monthly viewings and hosting regular community history evenings, we’ll bring people together to share stories, learn from one another, and enjoy a shared passion for local history.
Involving schools will make history more accessible, hands‑on, and engaging for young people, helping them connect with the town’s past in a meaningful way. Our new online index will also give residents and groups an easy way to see what we hold and request items that interest them—encouraging more people to explore, appreciate, and feel connected to their heritage.
Steps to get it done
- Update website and have our heritage artefacts index available
- Host monthly session for the local community to display the pieces we have available
- Develop 1 new publication and update existing information booklets
- Continue to deliver and grow monthly meetings for history and heritage enthusiast's
