YHP awarded £46,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for 2nd project – 'A Hidden History: African Women and the British Health Service,1930–2000

The Young Historians Project is excited to announce that we've been awarded funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This will allow us to uncover aspects of Black British History left out of current historical narratives: the history of African women in the British health service. As current narratives on Black women in the British health service tend to focus on 'Windrush generation' and Caribbean contributions, this project will cover new ground and expand public understanding of this history. We look forward to not only exploring African women’s contributions as part of the health sector’s workforce, but also their wider experiences and activities in British society. This project will be undertaken in partnership with Ghana Nurses Association, Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association and the Black Cultural Archives.

Princess Adenrele Ademola in her nursing uniform, c.1940s, Britain

As the history we're exploring is virtually unwritten, our young people will be documenting it primarily through oral history and inter-generational conversation, as well as archival research. We welcome your support with this. If you or someone you know is a woman of continental African descent, and has worked within the British health service (in any role) between the years 1930–2000, we would love to hear from you. If you are a young person between 16-25 with an interest in this history, drop us a line and join the team! If you are connected to a British-based school, university, or youth group, and would like to collaborate with the Young Historians Project, we are always happy to explore possibilities.

We anticipate producing a short film, an online exhibition, a commemorative mural at Charing Cross hospital, an ebook and continual podcast series to document our history in the making. We envision these outputs will inspire more research to be done in this historical field, and that more young people of African and Caribbean descent will be encouraged to undertake history as an academic endeavour, within the community and as a personal hobby. In the time between our last project, which documented the history of the Black Liberation Front and was launched in October 2017, we have expanded our team and lay the foundations for our new project whilst also operating without funding. This is an achievement in itself, and we are looking forward to picking up the pace with our project in light of our successful funding bid. We thank all of our members and supporters who have ensured the Young Historians Project remains ever-growing, active, and on the map.

Young Historians team alongside Hakim Adi (far left)

About the Heritage Lottery Fund:

Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery and #HLFsupported.