We are a Heritage Lottery Funded history project exploring Dorset’s ancient pathways by walking in the shoes of the Saxon pilgrim, St Aldhelm and a soldier training for the First World War. We will turn what we learn into a fun, interactive treasure hunt to share with the Dorset public.
Friday, 19 December 2014
Thursday, 18 December 2014
Christmas Party 2014!
16 December 2014
After over 15 months of research, Geocaching and adventures around Dorset, the group had a well-deserved celebration of their achievements. With plenty of delicious snacks going around and games of Charades and Pictionary, the WITS team enjoyed getting into the festive mood. We also had the return of volunteers like Jenny and Edward, taking a short break from their studies, to join in the fun!
Here are a selection of pictures from the event:
After over 15 months of research, Geocaching and adventures around Dorset, the group had a well-deserved celebration of their achievements. With plenty of delicious snacks going around and games of Charades and Pictionary, the WITS team enjoyed getting into the festive mood. We also had the return of volunteers like Jenny and Edward, taking a short break from their studies, to join in the fun!
Here are a selection of pictures from the event:
Press Release: Walking in their Shoes gets People Walking
18 December 2014
The Walking in their Shoes team, a youth-led project which
brought together a mixture of 15-25 year olds to set an interactive history
trail walking in the shoes of a First World War Soldier and the Anglo-Saxon
monk, St. Aldhelm, are pleased to officially launch their collection of
leaflets to promote their walks to the wider public and encourage them to walk
along the route. The leaflets were designed by Wallis Agency in Poundbury,
after the group received enthusiastic feedback from Geocaching participants
about the contents of the history boxes.
The cache contents are all developed, researched and
designed by volunteers in the project over the course of almost nine months.
They feature a series of flashcards which contain detailed facts and stories
about the life of a soldier from when he registered to join the frontline to
the terrible realities of what life was like in the trenches. Participants can
use a GPS device or a map and clues to locate the containers. Placed at
specific locations relevant to this period in history, the caches will hopefully
ensure that the memory of those who sacrificed their lives will be appreciated
by people of all ages from our insightful walk through time. Dorchester Tourist
Information Centre is the first in the county to distribute the leaflets
designed to accompany the walk.
One Geocacher commented: “We enjoyed doing another one of
this series: it is difficult to imagine what those first 2 weeks were like for
soldiers. It is clear you have put a lot of work into this cache and series -
you should feel very proud.”
Further positive feedback included: “The information on the
cache page really brought the history of the soldier to life. I could picture
what life would have been like. We are all so proud of all those who fought for
us and it's a good time of the year to remember all who were involved and
affected by all wars.”
Lorna Johnson, Project Officer for Walking in their Shoes,
has been delighted with the feedback so far and said, “The young team worked
really hard with partners at the Military Keep Museum and Bovington Tank Museum
to put together a great walk. It is a great activity to do in Dorchester and
Moreton and proves young people have a passion for their local heritage and are
very successful at telling important local stories in new and exciting ways.”
The project is also launching its second walk in the county,
and people will soon be able to walk in the shoes of St. Aldhelm, first Bishop
of Sherborne. They shine a light on this important but little known Anglo Saxon
hero from 705. The trail will start in Sherborne and continue through
Cerne Abbas, Wimborne Minster, Wareham and finish at St. Aldhelm’s Head.
Geocaching is an interactive and challenging activity where
users go on an outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices.
Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find
the geocache (container) hidden at that location. For more information, visit http://www.geocaching.com/.
To find out more about Walking in their Shoes, visit our
website http://www.walkingintheirshoes.co.uk/
and blog http://walkingintheirshoes.blogspot.co.uk/.
Follow us on Twitter @DorsetWitS.
ENDS
About Walking in their Shoes
Walking in their Shoes is a group of 20 strong volunteers,
aged 15-25, who have researched and designed new activities for members of the
public to engage in the history of Anglo Saxon and First World War Dorset. The
project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Contact
Lorna Johnson, Project Officer, Walking in their Shoes
T: 01305 757027
Match of the Century
By Jack Welch, Volunteer Press Officer
10 December 2014
As the First World War centenary commemorations continue, the team at WITS, having developed a strong reputation after their success of the Corn Exchange event (which you can read about here) were thrilled to be speaking at what was billed as Dorchester's 'event of the year'. The special football match, hosted at Dorchester's Avenue Stadium and played between soldiers versus Dorchester's Town FC, invited the group to read an opening narration of the scene where British and German soldiers called a one-day truce in Christmas 1914 and play a friendly game of football.
Jack played the role as lead narrator and Douglas and Kayleigh supported as German and British soldiers respectively. In the weeks running up to the event, the group taking part in the evening had a series of intensive rehearsal sessions, led by our Saxon expert, Pippa, in order to get prepared with the choreography and help with any issues the main actors may have had.
The evening itself presented its own challenges, as a chill in the air had made conditions outside less friendly and spots of rain began recurring. Moreover, our part in the show was the very highlight of the event, the pressure was on. Being the professionals the group are though, we all made it with only a few blips that were easily taken care of.
Allen Knott, Chairman of DYA and Community Director of the football club, wrote praising the group's efforts on the evening and said "I have to say I was the proudest man on the field. Our young representatives, together with their leaders, were superb and the clear message they gave was well received by the crowd."
"We are all indebted to them for the work they put into the event and I add my personal thanks to each and every one of them."
P.S. Have you seen this month's Dorchester Life yet? Pick up December's issue to see an article, featuring us!
10 December 2014
As the First World War centenary commemorations continue, the team at WITS, having developed a strong reputation after their success of the Corn Exchange event (which you can read about here) were thrilled to be speaking at what was billed as Dorchester's 'event of the year'. The special football match, hosted at Dorchester's Avenue Stadium and played between soldiers versus Dorchester's Town FC, invited the group to read an opening narration of the scene where British and German soldiers called a one-day truce in Christmas 1914 and play a friendly game of football.Jack played the role as lead narrator and Douglas and Kayleigh supported as German and British soldiers respectively. In the weeks running up to the event, the group taking part in the evening had a series of intensive rehearsal sessions, led by our Saxon expert, Pippa, in order to get prepared with the choreography and help with any issues the main actors may have had.The evening itself presented its own challenges, as a chill in the air had made conditions outside less friendly and spots of rain began recurring. Moreover, our part in the show was the very highlight of the event, the pressure was on. Being the professionals the group are though, we all made it with only a few blips that were easily taken care of.
Allen Knott, Chairman of DYA and Community Director of the football club, wrote praising the group's efforts on the evening and said "I have to say I was the proudest man on the field. Our young representatives, together with their leaders, were superb and the clear message they gave was well received by the crowd."
"We are all indebted to them for the work they put into the event and I add my personal thanks to each and every one of them."
P.S. Have you seen this month's Dorchester Life yet? Pick up December's issue to see an article, featuring us!
Thursday, 4 December 2014
Sunday, 16 November 2014
Fixers Take Over
By Jack Welch, Volunteer Press Officer
4th October 2014
Taking inspiration from his time at WITS and the previous
project, Dorset Youth Association, our long-serving volunteer Jack has been in
touch with the national charity Fixers to lead on a new project all about youth
participation in heritage based involvement. Fixers works with young people
aged 16-25 across the UK to coordinate create their own resource to fix an
issue within their own communities.
4th October 2014
Taking inspiration from his time at WITS and the previous
project, Dorset Youth Association, our long-serving volunteer Jack has been in
touch with the national charity Fixers to lead on a new project all about youth
participation in heritage based involvement. Fixers works with young people
aged 16-25 across the UK to coordinate create their own resource to fix an
issue within their own communities.
With a number of the WITS volunteers, plus some other young
guests, we were joined by Fixers staff, Katie and Carrie, for Jack to lead a
focus group on a series of questions on this subject. It allowed everyone to
give an insight into what inspires them about taking part in these kinds of
projects and what the consequences may be if heritage is not important for
young people.
More updates and developments will follow from this meeting,
so keep an ear out for what's happening next in this exciting project.
UPDATE: Jack has now been invited to do a broadcast film next year for ITV News West Country. Exciting stuff!
For more information on Fixers and how you can get involved, please visit www.fixers.org.uk.
Awards Success Continues
By Jack Welch, Volunteer Press Officer
30th October 2014
After the tremendous success of the recent reception of our
'Inspiring Project Award' at Dorset Youth Association's AGM (read here for the
full story), the WITS team were up for another accolade as we received the
'Volunteer Group of the Year' award from the Dorset Volunteer Centre. Hosted at
Bridport House, the certificates for each volunteer was presented by the current
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Angus Campbell, with the ceremony presided by DYA
Chairman, Allen Knott.
Congratulations to all the other fantastic individuals and groups who picked up awards on the evening. It was wonderful to have so much activity in Dorset recognised.
30th October 2014
After the tremendous success of the recent reception of our
'Inspiring Project Award' at Dorset Youth Association's AGM (read here for the
full story), the WITS team were up for another accolade as we received the
'Volunteer Group of the Year' award from the Dorset Volunteer Centre. Hosted at
Bridport House, the certificates for each volunteer was presented by the current
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Angus Campbell, with the ceremony presided by DYA
Chairman, Allen Knott.
Before collecting our award, the group were well-deservedly
treated to an evening meal in the centre of Dorcheste, where Project Officer,
Lorna, was presented with an ornamental cake stand and bouquet of flowers, as a
token of the group's appreciation for her hard work this past year.
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
AGM Highlights
22nd October 2014
By Jack Welch, Volunteer Press Officer
After what seems like only a short time ago since the launch of the project to Dorset Youth Association's last Annual General Meeting, the WITS team were back this year to present some of the highlights of the achievements and progress over the past year, which have not only been documented on its own channels., but also in local and national headlines. Attended by a number of volunteers, Jack, Rosie and Michael, the adult volunteer support team was also present for the official reception of the British Youth Council 'Youth on Board' Award for their 'Inspiring Project Award' certificate.
Presented by DYA Chairman, Allen Knott, and outgoing President of the charity, Pamela Seaton, who retires after an incredible 30 years with the Association, the group posed for a photograph to celebrate what has been a tremendous year of success it has been for the project. Delivering a short speech on presenting the record on behalf of WITS and the impact it has had on the community, Jack said "The project solidly proves the talents and abilities of young people in Dorset, who will help lead the way for future youth initiatives for many years to come."
Project Officer, Lorna, also thanked the contributions of the adult volunteers for their involvement in the project and praised the group for their efforts in making WITS a true success.
An article was soon published in the Dorset Echo a few days afterwards, which shared the special occasion of receiving the award.
By Jack Welch, Volunteer Press Officer
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| Michael receives the envelope which contains the certificate. |
Presented by DYA Chairman, Allen Knott, and outgoing President of the charity, Pamela Seaton, who retires after an incredible 30 years with the Association, the group posed for a photograph to celebrate what has been a tremendous year of success it has been for the project. Delivering a short speech on presenting the record on behalf of WITS and the impact it has had on the community, Jack said "The project solidly proves the talents and abilities of young people in Dorset, who will help lead the way for future youth initiatives for many years to come." Project Officer, Lorna, also thanked the contributions of the adult volunteers for their involvement in the project and praised the group for their efforts in making WITS a true success.
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| Dorset Echo article covering the award achievement. |
New Stories in the History Centre
By Jack Welch, Volunteer Press Officer
The team at WITS were proud, after weeks of intensive organising and file identification, to pass over their record of oral history interviews to the team at Dorset History Centre. Containing up to 16 interviews in total, the volunteers for the project have interviewed a variety of people in the Dorset public with memories of relatives who lived or remembered the events of the First World War.
Praised by Maria of the History Centre, she said that there will be more stories to add in the Centre's collection of existing stories by survivors of the period. In addition to the recordings, our current website and trail of history boxes will also be preserved for many years to come. Volunteers Julia and Rosie, who worked many hours in total on abstracts of these recordings, had the honour if handing it over.
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Our Website
Don't forget, for more details of our project, where you can find our walks and if you would like to feedback to us, just visit our new website: walkingintheirshoes.co.uk.
Footsteps of a Saxon - Our St Aldhelm Update
By Jack Welch, Volunteer Press Officer
After the success of completing and holding our grand launch of the trail of our World War One walk, the WITS team have now moved forward to the second phase of their exciting investigation into the life and times of Dorset's first effective Bishop, St Aldhelm. Working alongside our resident expert in this area, Pippa, there are little known facts and plenty of stories about this mysterious man. With much of the information coming second hand from figures such as William of Malmesbury, a scholar Monk from Wiltshire, and classical writer Bede, the group are currently constructing a history of what we know so far and for that to be illustrated in the computer programme, Comic Life. Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting caches coming soon!
Meanwhile, some of the group have been making their way around key locations around Dorset to learn more about the potential journeys St Aldhelm may have made across the county and to plot the location for new caches. The first of these visits included a walk around the coastal scenery of Worth Matravers and ultimately up where St Aldhelm's chapel currently resides. Meeting with the loca
l Priest in the church of Worth Matravers, Gaynor Burnett, she was particularly excited to hear of what had been learnt so far and was happy for volunteers Edward and Ashley to plot a location for the cache. Interestingly, St Aldhelm's Point was only constructed many years after his own death. Believed to have been established around the 13th century, when St Aldhelm died in 709 AD, the building has many unusual features in comparison to a typical chapel. Taking a scenic, coastal path to reach the Point, both volunteers and staff found it quite a challenge to walk around some of the steep inclines on the route and proved to be a rather exhausting trek. With an easier alternative path to the area also available, this will be indicated to the walkers when the Caches become live.
More recently, members of the group were welcomed to the abbey of Wimborne Minsiter and to learn more about the life of Cuthburga, a relative of St Aldhelm, and the first Abbess of Wimborne. With Liz and Rosie in attendance, the visitors were given an insightful talk on the background behind the
Abbey and the underlying, including the Saxon Chest, manufactured from hollowed Oak, which is said to date back to 705 AD and is believed to have great healing powers associated around it. Also present is the astronomic clock, dating back to 1320 and designed to show the days when everything was said to revolve around the Earth. It was fascinating to learn of the origins of the Abbey belonging to Cuthburga, who spent much of her years as Abbess devoted to her cause and the strict discipline that made the Abbey successful. She died in 725 and is also buried in Wimborne.
More updates to follow...
Meanwhile, some of the group have been making their way around key locations around Dorset to learn more about the potential journeys St Aldhelm may have made across the county and to plot the location for new caches. The first of these visits included a walk around the coastal scenery of Worth Matravers and ultimately up where St Aldhelm's chapel currently resides. Meeting with the local Priest in the church of Worth Matravers, Gaynor Burnett, she was particularly excited to hear of what had been learnt so far and was happy for volunteers Edward and Ashley to plot a location for the cache. Interestingly, St Aldhelm's Point was only constructed many years after his own death. Believed to have been established around the 13th century, when St Aldhelm died in 709 AD, the building has many unusual features in comparison to a typical chapel. Taking a scenic, coastal path to reach the Point, both volunteers and staff found it quite a challenge to walk around some of the steep inclines on the route and proved to be a rather exhausting trek. With an easier alternative path to the area also available, this will be indicated to the walkers when the Caches become live.
More recently, members of the group were welcomed to the abbey of Wimborne Minsiter and to learn more about the life of Cuthburga, a relative of St Aldhelm, and the first Abbess of Wimborne. With Liz and Rosie in attendance, the visitors were given an insightful talk on the background behind theAbbey and the underlying, including the Saxon Chest, manufactured from hollowed Oak, which is said to date back to 705 AD and is believed to have great healing powers associated around it. Also present is the astronomic clock, dating back to 1320 and designed to show the days when everything was said to revolve around the Earth. It was fascinating to learn of the origins of the Abbey belonging to Cuthburga, who spent much of her years as Abbess devoted to her cause and the strict discipline that made the Abbey successful. She died in 725 and is also buried in Wimborne.
More updates to follow...
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Dorset Echo DT1 Column: Volunteers Unveil New Historical Walk
By Jack Welch from the Walking in their Shoes project
As the centenary commemorations of World War One unite the country in pride and sadness at those lost in the War, volunteers at Dorset Youth Association were proud to unveil a brand new historical walk.
Through the “Walking in their Shoes” project, members of the public can discover just what it was like to live as a soldier in Dorset during this difficult period as part of the Heritage Lottery-funded project.
Designed and led by young people who have given their spare time, the event at Dorchester’s Corn Exchange was a perfect example in which young people could show their enthusiasm and commitment for the heritage of their local communities.
Numerous boxes are placed across the walk through Dorchester, Moreton and Bovington, which allow treasure hunters to find boxes using GPS satellite signals or more traditional map clues to find and read the captivating stories.
Many of these tales come as result from the support we have had from The Keep Military Museum and The Tank Museum.
An app and official website for this part of the project will be available to allow people to interact with this trail.
Accompanied by the current Mayor of Dorchester, Councillor Peter Mann, and Chairman of Dorset Youth Association, Alan Knott, volunteers in soldiers’ uniforms and period dress took special guests to be the first finders of the hidden boxes around the town.
With the success of this and our showcase, the project moves into the next stage – following an Anglo-Saxon Monk.
For more details visit http://www.walkingintheirshoes.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @DorsetWitS
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Local plumber saves the day!
Dean Rawlings from Dorchester Plumbing Supplies helped us to create tubes for our Geocache scrolls. We needed small sections of piping which he kindly cut up for us. He offered the pipes for free as we are a charity but we wanted to pay as we have a budget. He was so much cheaper than another local supplier.
Back at base we spent time putting together the pieces of pipe for the scrolls. We can't show you the finished pipes as it will give the game away.
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Edward and Ashley with the plumbing merchant. |
Saturday, 16 August 2014
Photos: Launching our Walk
Here are a selection of photographs taken on the day of our Launch. Thank you to all that came and took a leaflet about our walk - we are already printing more by popular demand! Huge thanks to the Bovington tank Museum and Dorchester Community Plays Association & the New Hardy Players for the loan of the costumes.
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| Courtesy of Dorset Echo |
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| Courtesy of Dorset Echo |
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| Courtesy of Dorset Echo |
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