Culture And Memory

Mining Memory

Our project will record and conserve the memories and stories of the East Kent mining communities, who supported those seeking sanctuary (from within the UK and abroad) 1923- 2023. We will particularly work with local young people (many of whose families themselves experienced migration) to record the wealth of knowledge connected to these experiences of displacement and exile before they are lost for ever. Having worked closely with these communities for years, we hope by enabling recollection of this history the project legacy will offer a significant contribution to East Kent’s heritage and understanding of its role in these key moments in past and recent history. The 100th anniversary of the 1926 Miners’ Strike (to be commemorated at Kent Mining Museum in 2026) and the opening of the Kitchener Camp, January 1939 which brought 300 Jewish refugees under 20 to Sandwich will create a particular project focus for young people.