Spotlight on Wednesbury History Society

Tell us what you do
In essence we promote the history of Wednesbury and have done for the past 7 years. We have regular meeting once a month with a speaker and we cover a variety of subjects. We want to get people involved with history in general and currently have 50-60 members.  We also have reunions for the Patent Shaft and FH Lloyd steel works at the museum and art gallery in town.

What is your proudest achievement?
We are proud of everything that we do but membership has been steadily increasing so that for us is a really good sign that we are giving people want they want. We try to promote an atmosphere where everyone knows each other so there’s a social side to the club as well. In the past we have put on exhibitions, published a book about the Patent shaft steel works and last summer had a successful trip to Himley Hall which was greatly enjoyed by the 40 members who came.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
Initially they supported us when the society was first starting out. We used to produce a newsletter which SCVO helped with. We also had some funding support when applying for a grant to finance an exhibition.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
The local community tend to be very supportive and people are very appreciative of what we do which is lovely.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
The main challenge at the moment is the imminent closure of St James’ church which is where we hold our meetings. The expense of room hire is a big obstacle for a lot of clubs but we have got a few offers from possible new venues so the club will move onto somewhere new soon.