Port of Tyne to provide funding for uncovering Tyneside’s shipbuilding past

The charity which curates a web-based historical archive reflecting local life in North Tyneside has received funding from the Port of Tyne Community Action Fund at the Community Foundation.

As told by those who lived and worked in the area, Remembering the Past, Resourcing the Future exists to ensure that local stories are not forgotten.

The funding will enable volunteers to focus on producing more information about Tyneside’s illustrious shipbuilding industry and maritime history.

Over six months, volunteers will work to collect, archive and disseminate the stories of 12 people living in North Tyneside.

The 12 subjects will be interviewed to collect their stories and together with relevant photographs and documents, volunteers will put together for the Remembering the Past, Resourcing the Future website.

Heather Coltman, group legal & insurance manager at the Port of Tyne, who chairs the Port’s Community Action Fund panel, said: “We are delighted to support this digital heritage project, which has wide-ranging benefits for the community in which we operate.

“Remembering the Past, Resourcing the Future will provide training opportunities for volunteers, and seek to reduce isolation in residential care homes. It’s a wonderful project that we hope will contribute to a stronger community in North Tyneside.”

Elaine Holdsworth, senior philanthropy advisor at the community foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, said: “Remembering the Past, Resourcing the Future will create a lasting legacy of stories and anecdotes that will benefit the wider community.

“Funding from the Port of Tyne Community Action Fund at the Community Foundation will capture stories that could otherwise have been lost.”