MANDELA8 HAVE been awarded £95k from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to establish and deliver a major oral history programme ensuring the history and stories of community activists in Toxteth and their first-hand memories of anti-apartheid struggles are told.

The project will record the memories of Princes Park, collect photos and memorabilia and deliver a range of engagement activities with people of all ages to ensure a long lasting digital educational resource for many years to come.

The project will create employment opportunities and develop 15 heritage research volunteers with support and training from National Museums Liverpool. 15 young people will also be provided with digital skills training to support recording of heritage stories.

Sonia Bassey, MBE, Mandela8 chair said: “We are excited to get started with this project that will leave a lasting legacy for our community.

“We are delighted with the additional funding secured for the engagement programme for the Nelson Mandela memorial.

“It will be a truly inclusive centrepiece of the park, ensuring his legacy, values and ideals are formally marked, promoting social and racial understanding, tolerance and tackling issues around cultural diversity.”

David Renwick, Director of England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Communities are at the heart of the projects we invest in, and we are proud to be supporting Mandela8 in their project to remember and record important stories of anti-apartheid struggles.

“The project not only ensures that these memories will be safeguarded, but also share them with the next generation of the community.”