Story Catchers
Story Catchers is a heritage project with Global Majority 18–25-year-olds based in Wandsworth, capturing and preserving the lived experiences of our borough’s diverse communities.
The programme worked with two cohorts of young people, offering them professional oral history training and support in preparation for conducting their own oral history interviews. Working with Wandsworth community groups including Balham and Tooting Community and Sports Club, Be Enriched, Happy Homes, Sparkle Intergenerational Community, The Furzedown Project and Tooting Baptist Church, participants were connected to local residents and invited them to share their memories. Collectively, fourteen Story Catchers collected fourteen oral histories from interviews with twenty-six community members and elders.
These stories are a powerful testimony to how African, Caribbean and Asian communities have shaped Wandsworth’s heritage as we know it today. Many share experiences of working in hospitals, kitchens and schools whilst laying down roots and finding a place to call home.
Story Catchers - Autumn 2025
The first phase of collected stories were showcased in a public exhibition at Wandsworth Town library from September 2025 – February 2026 called ‘We Are Somebody’.
The exhibition title directly reflected the participants' own words – a profound expression of their desire to be seen, valued and remembered. Through their personal accounts, our hope was for these community members to receive the recognition they deserve whilst inspiring young people to understand and appreciate the foundations laid by previous generations.
“I think the programme was excellent, and the exhibition itself was truly perfect.” - Story Catcher, cohort 1 participant
Capturing Oral Histories with Global Majority Elders
Story Catchers: Oral Histories (Autumn 2025)
Launch of We Are Somebody at Wandsworth Town Library
Story Catchers x Memories Kitchen - Spring 2026
The second phase of Story Catchers was a collaboration with Memories Kitchen. Partnering with On The Record CIC, a not-for-profit community history organisation, to engage Story Catchers in capturing stories about food, memory and belonging. The cohort completed a series of training workshops led by On the Record, followed by interviews with community members. The interviews inspired this menu booklet and community feast on 11th March 2026 with all those involved in the project. Both created spaces to showcase the stories captured whilst celebrating the diverse, lived histories that flavour Wandsworth’s heritage.
“Cooking in their childhood was a pleasurable experience as it allowed them to contribute to the community and make their elders happy.” - Story Catcher, cohort 2 participant
