Oral history is a shared process of recording and archiving people's lived experiences. Before anything else we listen. We ask “what was it like to be a mental health patient then?” “What is it like to be a nursing assistant now?” Each person’s account is in its own way unique. Here are some comments from participants who took part in cooking and conversation.
This evaluation was were gathered through
- evaluation calls between February 1st and 27th
- forms filled in anonymously at workshops and events throughout the project.
- We also conducted audio recorded interviews with participants and volunteers
- We received unsolicited feedback emails throughout the project.
MIND AND PEOPLE – wheel of wellbeing.
Summary all but one person evaluated learned something new, and they deepened their knowledge. Everyone evaluated made a new human connection.
Tell us about the oral history and story gathering process? Did you learn anything? Did you gain new connections?
Male aged 52” “inspired me to start my own oral history project! The project gave me valuable experience and the skills needed to launch a community project.
Apart from it being interesting –the structure of the project [kept me involved], the way the work was delineated meant that you knew what was going on, there was a set schedule within the project, and I knew what was coming next. Other projects I got involved in didn’t have [that].
SR, female, aged 67: "I really enjoyed it, although my cat kept getting in the way, and I remembered new things - it gave me a different perspective on my past."
G, male, aged 17: “really important skill that really helped me, even in terms of what I was doing at college. I have also improved my interviewing and interpersonal skills by collaborating as a team and actually interviewing someone. “
Female Nursing assistant, Aged 50s “Had a great day being interviewed by the fabulous @Ontherecordcic"
Female Nursing assistant Aged 50s "Had soooo much fun discussing the numerous privileges nursing and midwifery has given me."
Nursing assistant mum and daughter aged 60s and 80s “I learned things about my mum’s work and early life in Barbados that I’d never heard before – the fact that we had a volunteer there recording her voice made it a bit of an event. Normally she gets side-tracked by gossip and modern-day stuff.”
Participant, aged 70s "I found the whole process really therapeutic - helped me to evaluate my past."
PG aged 50s “It has been such a cathartic experience rethinking and revisiting cherished thoughts and objects from my time at The Hospital, having left in 1999. The thoughts kept going into the evening and through the night into December.
“I enjoyed having the space and time to explore my own memories. I appreciated being taken well out of my comfort zone and draw someone else’s.”
I enjoyed sharing stories in the circle with strangers”
“Some of the oral history skills I developed - being able to listen to what people have to say, then think about constructive questions that would help them express feelings.”
“I’m not sure I learned anything new, but I did deepen my skills perhaps.”
Volunteer, aged 60s “I have integrated the deep listening meditation you taught me. When I arrive to record the oral history, I try to really arrive. My head, my heart, my feet. How could you arrive without your feet? I try to pay attention to the soft slap of my shoes. I listen to my breathing. I look for colours and shapes. And when I arrive on the doorstep, and my narrator opens the door, I arrive complete, no pieces of my jigsaw missing.
“Learned the fundamentals of oral history.”
“I shifted to this country 7 days ago. I moved from India. Exhausted. I took the first step to get out of the house, and there are interesting people everywhere, it’s just about you reaching out. So, every day is a story, it's all about narration and how you look at it. Like we are four people and we all have our own story chapters that we can bring on the table and it can help other people
Did you support someone else to share their story or otherwise support them through the project?
“I learned how to start letting go and not overthink and just see what happens in conversations with others.”
“I really appreciated how friendly everyone was.”
“I have made so many new friends and will keep in touch with people.”
“I’m so pleased I reconnected with D after so many years. Lovely to meet old friends and new.”
“I think also I made some great connections today. And I think everywhere I go; I'm learning to appreciate the space I'm in and to be present.”
“Participant, aged 50s “It’s only in telling the stories that you discover the meaning in, in the story. And sometimes something that which is an everyday thing for you - it could be more meaningful to another person. I don’t just tell my story for me, it’s so others can feel seen.”
“Volunteer aged 60s Yes. Being asked to do an activity I’d never done was expansive. “
I enjoyed sharing stories in the circle with strangers”
Yes both ways. M- was lovely. She deeply listened to me and we really shared a connection.”
“Yes both ways. I listened and drew L’s story. It felt real alive and covered a pivotal moment in her life. I was listened to and my story drawn. It was beautiful.”
“How to listen to someone else’s story and capture it. How to capture my own stories without fear.
“an observation someone else made about my own story during the break helped me a lot.”
“yes l learned how to listen better and set out on an unknown sea with someone in conversation.
I think, uh, now this [project] also has given me a chance to see what more this community has to offer for a newcomer. So like zooming down, you know, to the community aspect of it and how I can contribute because it's not just about what I get from it, it's also what I can give back.
Feast participant, 60s So when I was going for a very dark time, the only sanctuary I had at that time was this Park, cause it was close to my home. So, I'd come to Myatt’s fields I'd walk around and around and around looking at nature and thinking about my choices I was making in my life. So, to be involved in your project and be able to give back through my story is very important. When you get stronger and you're healed from your mental health and you're able to then to give back to others in that same space, that's quite empowering. I'm sure I didn't answer those questions right!”
BODY (WHEEL OF WELLBEING). Comments on the cooking and dining aspects of the project
“I learned that tofu can be cooked really well, that's a very important lesson. ‘Cause I would not be trying to cook tofu before today.”
“Food nourished my body, enabled me to start telling stories from a place of strength rather than trauma
How did you make tofu taste good f.f.s.? I’
“This was insanely good. I loved it.”
“The pumpkin cake was my favourite – it wasn’t too sweet.”
“Will you come on the estate and teach our young people to cook on a budget?”
PLACE. Comments on participants appreciation of places in Lambeth (gathered at the celebratory meals
Feast participant, 60s: “I love this little corner. I forgot I'm in London. We dig our hands into the dirt, and we reap, and we cook vegetables together. For me it was so valuable. I’ll come back every week.”
AA, teacher, 60s: “I really appreciated reconnecting with Myatts Fields and my memories of it. I still remember the first time I went on a school trip and a usually troubled boy slipped away. ‘I said James. What's up? And he said, nothing. He just said, I found the sports a little [00:24:00] bit loud, Mr. Ashler. I just thought I'd come here and, and chill out for a bit. ….....[00:24:04] And I was so struck by that, and I thought, this is why parks fields places like this is just so important. Um, it should be a safe haven for children to be around - and for them to be able to take risks as well. Because the next thing he asked me, he said, can I climb that tree? And I said, no. (laughter) I would have said yes but the school would have sued me, ………..[00:24:31] And I think, that's what strikes me, you get moments like that when people are transformed by the power of nature. You know, they, they, they move from one state to another and you tend to think it only applies to adults. You know, that we go for respite, we go for, for calm. We, we, you know, we go to kind of for our composure, so to speak, but you forget about children as well and what it does for them and how it imprints on, on their soul and their spirit….
LB, 80s “You welcomed me yesterday, despite the fact that you were full.
I am delighted that I was allowed the opportunity to be with such a vibrant group.
It was a time to listen to and learn from others, while having fun and enjoying some tantalising vegan food!
Where do we go after yesterday? Are we going to help with retaining Parks for that normally challenging young person who enjoyed the calm and generous serenity Myatts Field Park freely offers?”
“Thanks for introducing me to this place.” [Participant who lived 3 minutes from Mary Seacole gardens and had never been].
“I am looking for a new venue for the Ukrainian women’s group and this could be it. Thank you.”
What would you improve?
“Thank you very much for the workshops. It was fun. “
“Nothing. I loved it all”
“I enjoyed it all”
“This was absolutely wonderful. Thank you.”
“Nothing. I liked it all”
“I enjoyed it all.”
“Nothing – very healing workshop
“Talking from my own rather than hearing other people’s which I love. But that’s just me getting lost in my head. Maybe it’s not always a bad thing.”
Laura – project co-ordinator. “On training days / group days, I’d pre-assign people to groups at the start rather than seeing who gels with who on the day.”
“The venue was a bit noisy, and the other users had background music.”
Baseline data – gathered at the start
21 of the 30 people surveyed at this stage rated their wellbeing as “room for improvement” or “poor” in response to the question How are you doing at the moment?
27 of the 30 surveyed at this stage of the project felt that they did have some support but not enough and they welcomed signposting to other services during or after.
We also asked about how to make the project more accessible. For a lot of people access was about timing and place – making sure we were flexible with the scheduling of oral histories, and that we could come to a place of convenience to them – often their home or a park.
We also asked people to rate their knowledge of oral history (1-10 points) before the project and after. Everyone surveyed had moved between 2 and 10 points.
We also asked people to rate how connected they felt to others (1-10 points) before the project and after. Everyone surveyed had moved between 4 and 10 points.
Here are some comments from people who participated in cooking and conversation:
"I really enjoyed it, although my cat kept getting in the way, and I remembered new things - it gave me a different perspective on my past."
“Had a great day being interviewed by the fabulous @Ontherecordcic"
"Had soooo much fun discussing the numerous privileges nursing and midwifery has given me."
“I learned things about my mum’s work and early life in Barbados that I’d never heard before – the fact that we had a volunteer there recording her voice made it a bit of an event. Normally she gets side-tracked by gossip and modern day stuff.”
"I found the whole process really therapeutic - helped me to evaluate my past."
“It has been such a cathartic experience rethinking and revisiting cherished thoughts and objects from my time at the Hospital, having left in 1999. The thoughts kept going into the evening and through the night into December.
