The Community Memories Project was set up following St Hilda’s East’s 120th Anniversary celebrations, with the aim to capture and share a fantastic story of community work through the last century. This one year project was highly successful in achieving this and, although funding has now ceased, it remains a permanent resource for those interested in local history – from local residents to schools and colleges.

The Community Memories Archive, the result of this year-long project, is now housed on-site in the community centre. It is a treasure trove of recollections of the community centre and local area dating back to the 1930s, including countless old photographs, historical documents, recorded oral histories and a short film (see below).

The volunteer-run archive is open to all. We are currently developing links with local secondary and primary schools to encourage them make increasing use of this excellent social history resource for curricular activities while also encouraging an awareness of the incredibly rich heritage of the local area.

For further information about the Community Memories Archive, please contact us by email.

“The best bit about filming was setting up the shots. We matched up old photos of the area from the archive with buildings now, and saw how it’s changed over the years.”

Member of Youth Project involved in filming

“St Hilda’s when I was growing up, it was a central part of everything.”

Oral history recollection

St Hilda’ East: The Story of a Community
The above film documents the remarkable history of St Hilda’s East Community Centre, from its origins in the nineteenth century to today. Members of our Youth Project and girls from Cheltenham Ladies’ College were involved in the making of the film. The Guild of Cheltenham Ladies’ College is the institution which originally established St Hilda’s in 1889.