Forging Links!

A couple of months ago West Bromwich YMCA were approached by a project called Forging Links, who on behalf of our local council and a partner organisation are delivering a project looking at the heritage of the area.  

They wanted to work with some young people from the YMCA on a 6 week project where the information collected throughout would be displayed at Sandwell Arts Festival in the summer. 

Initially the project sounded like something the young people wouldn’t really enjoy but eventually it all began to sound a bit more interesting with workshops including metal bashing, filming and photography, interviewing and maybe even a trip to the Black Country Museum!

The Forging Links project has been a real success! Since the project began back in February, every week around 6 residents and some members of staff have taken part in various workshops. It all started with metal bashing in Cradley Heath, we then took a trip to Smethwick Archives where we had a tour around the basement and looked at the vast amount of information which can be found there about Sandwell.

The following week we went to Wednesbury Art Gallery and Museum where the group interviewed a couple of people who had worked in the local industries and this was followed by a session editing photos and the video footage which had been taken during the previous weeks. We have also taken a trip to the Black Country Museum where we stepped back in to the past, learnt about the history of the area a little more and we all went down the mines.

The final week saw us going back to the blacksmith in Cradley to do more metal bashing as this was a really enjoyable experience the first time and everyone wanted to go back! Although staff were a little wary at the start of the project that residents may find it boring, the residents completely proved them wrong. The residents have thrown themselves in to everything and have had a really good time and the staff found them all a pleasure to work with.

 Some residents said: “It was a mega fun experience. Haven’t ever done that before. Had a wicked time, really enjoyed it!”

"I enjoyed the whole of it, meeting the workmen and getting the whole experience and doing it and making it.”