Where We Can Call Home

Where We Can Call Home is a community heritage project telling the stories of people from Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole’s ethnically diverse communities and how their journeys from different places have led them to make BCP their home.

We have a team of community researchers who have recorded over 50 interviews with members of the local BCP community.  Their stories will be shared as part of an exhibition and website; brought alive as part of a local storytelling festival; discussed as part of a podcast; included in learning materials for schools; and form part of an important historical archive held by Dorset History Centre for future generations to study and research. 

We feel that it is really important to build more knowledge, empathy and understanding of local diversity, and its impact and importance in the community.  Their incredible journeys, told beautifully, immerse you in their world, just for a moment. They provoke questions of us, as listeners, about how we can change our communities for the better.

Please follow us to find out more about these events as they happen.

We were recently at Africa Comes to Bournemouth and World of Love Festival this summer with Kathy Boston-Mammah from BCP Council.

The project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund

To find out more contact Louise Boston-Mammah at education@deed.org.uk or Tony Morrison at tony.morrison@citizensadvicebcp.org.uk

 
 
 
 

Our community researchers Bea Sieradzka, Natalia Czarnecka, Sharon Muiruri Coyne, Rita El-Gazali and Ebi Sosseh

DEED’s Louise Boston-Mammah and community researcher Rita with Maria Gayton from the Dorset History Centre

 Here’s a taster of some of the people we have met and what they said

Black History Month 2023: Celebrating our Sisters

Bournemouth Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council’s Race and Cultural Diversity Staff Network group hosted their second annual Black History Month event in Bournemouth University’s Bournemouth Gateway Building. The event highlighted the crucial role that Black women have played in shaping history, inspiring change, and building communities.

Key speakers included Bernadette MacDonald, Chair of the Equality Council Commission; Toni Jones, Senior Practitioner, Adult Social Care; Dr. Isioma Nwokolo, Consultant Psychiatrist; and DEED’s Louise Boston-Mammah.

This community event gathered people of all ages and backgrounds. Audience members included the Charter Mayor of Poole, Councillor Jo Clements and Bournemouth, Councillor Anne Filer.

Layne Hamerston, BU’s Community Partnerships Manager, said: “We’re delighted to continue to work together and utilise our facilities to bring together communities. This event has helped raise awareness for the ongoing work within Dorset to support our diverse community and highlight its successes. We look forward to being a part of the future evolution of this event.”

BCP’s Community and Recreation Officer, Wilbert Smith, organiser of the event, introduced the keynote speakers. Bernadette MacDonald spoke of her work supporting those from disadvantaged and ethnic minority communities as a volunteer community member for The Crown Prosecution Service and local police.

Toni Jones spoke of women who have made a difference including activists such as Olive Morris, a member of the British Black Panther Movement who supported the UK’s first network of Black women’s groups. Toni also spoke about Claudia Jones's influence as a journalist, through her advocacy for Black individuals, women, and workers.

Louise Boston-Mammah introduced her research project, ‘Where We Can Call Home’, Citizens Advice Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole in partnership with DEED are working with the new communities of BCP to tell the stories of people who are re-shaping their local communities, industries and services.

Dr. Isioma Nwokolo concluded the event, with an interactive presentation in which the audience was invited to share their experience going into “survival mode” e.g., a difficult period. An audience member gave an example of how their community group had struggled during COVID-19 to stay connected and took to activities via video call such as cooking to help maintain a sense of community during a period of isolation. From other’s experiences, we learnt that there is strength and support in coming together as a community.

  • 1. Oliver Morris
    2. Claudia Jones
    3. Diane Abbot
    4. Mary Seacole
    5. Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu
    6. Olivette Otele
    7. Margaret Busby
    8. Malorie Blackman
    9. Vanessa Kingori
    10. Maggie Aderin-Pocock
    11. Tessa Sanderson
    12. Carmen Munroe
    13. Katherine Johnson
    14. Mary W. Jackson
    15. Dorothy Vaughan
    16. Jessica Watkins
    17. Kamala Harris
    18. Shonda Rhimes
    19. Serena Williams
    20. Simone Biles
    21. Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono

 

Speakers alongside BCP’s Community and Recreation Officer, Wilbert Smith, and BU’s Community Partnerships Manager, Layne Hamerston

DEED’s Louise Boston-Mammah talking about the ‘Where We Can Call Home’ project at the ‘Celebrating our Sisters’ event in Bournemouth.

Storytelling Festival 2023 - 2024

Join us to celebrate the diverse communities of BCP, learn about their individual journeys and explore the importance of finding somewhere we belong. There are five free events in five venues across BCP, each featuring local people telling their own stories in their own way, through performance, spoken word or film.

HOPEFOOL PERFORMANCE
Performance which examines what it’s like to be a refugee by Vita Nova’s Celeste drama group with post-performance discussion and short filmed interviews.
Monday 16th October 2023, The Black Cherry, Bournemouth

SPOKEN WORD EVENT
Talks and filmed interviews with members of our local Black community about their lives in BCP as part of Black History Month.
Friday 27th October 2023 at Gather, Dolphin Centre, Poole

SPOKEN WORD EVENT
Poetry and spoken word evening with members of our local ethnically diverse communities on themes of identity, home and belonging.
Friday 1st December, The Black Cherry, Bournemouth.

SISTERHOOD OF STORIES PERFORMANCE
Performance by the women of Ukrainian Community Dorset about coming to Dorset and putting down roots here.
Thursday 22 February at 8.00pm at Lighthouse, Poole's Centre for the Arts, 21 Kingland Rd, Poole BH15 1UG

INDIAN SOLDIERS, WW1 & BOURNEMOUTH TALK
Talks and filmed interviews with BPC Indian Community Association exploring aspects of the history of the Indian community in Bournemouth with the launch of Russell-Cotes re-imagined Indian Art & Sculpture exhibition.
August 2024, date tbc.
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth.

To find out more contact Louise Boston-Mammah at education@deed.org.uk or Tony Morrison at tony.morrison@citizensadvicebcp.org.uk

 

Please contact Louise at DEED to express an interest.
Email education@deed.org.uk