Project Summary

Coming back home is an 18 month community project with a comparative approach  to lead this project into an opportunity to analyse the political encounters occurred living in High Wycombe between three generations. The project will focus on exploring these personal testimonies that will be primarily be in the UK, a compilation of individual stories, photographs, memorabilia and the cataloguing of objects donated or loaned will be undertaken.  These unrecorded historical experiences that helped shape British society will be used as part of the learning process for all and produce a book and a display for the local community and schools.

The Project

The project will focus on the testimonies of Vincentians personal experiences and stories through three generations living in High Wycombe documenting their contribution to British Society.

A greater understanding and to be able to foster relationships between young people and the older generation will be achieved.  High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire has the largest concentration of Vincentian population in the UK.  Unrecorded archives of memoires, experiences and objects that were bought to the UK and taken from the UK to St Vincent or further migration will be used to develop, form new community links and bridge the gap within the community, to give a sense of place and increased pride in our local area.

Project Background

This project is based upon the influence of an address delivered at the Conference of Heads of State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 2002 given by the Prime Minister of St. Vincent & the Grenadines the Hon. Dr. Ralph E Gonsalves, “The History of West Indian Migration Causes & Consequences”.  It was also based upon the Government initiative “Vincy Homecoming” that celebrated 30 years of Independence in 2009.  Nationals were invited to join in celebrations within the Diaspora.  A National conference held in High Wycombe in June 2009 resulted in the need for this project.  Nothing like this has ever been done before, what we are proposing is unique and much needed to preserve our heritage and recognise our contribution to British society.  There are no other options that we can consider due to costs that will occur in order to preserve this unique and significant history.