Westmorland and Furness Libraries has brought Barrow’s shipbuilding heritage to life with a new reminiscence resource capturing the voices and memories of those who lived and worked through it.
Last year, members of the public including Barrow Shipyard workers and local veterans were invited to share their memories, stories, photographs and items as part of a Memory Lane Project.
This initiative aimed to capture and preserve the personal experiences of local people and is now being shared with the wider community through outreach visits to care homes and community groups. The project is designed to help people reminisce and learn about the past, fostering connections through shared memories.
Library Outreach Officers are using these stories to spark meaningful conversations, particularly benefiting those who may experience loneliness or isolation. From funny and light-hearted memories to more serious reflections, all kinds of stories were gratefully received along with items of interest, photographs and memorabilia which were kindly gifted to the Library Service.
In addition to written and spoken memories, the Library Service has created an audio file featuring the stories, ensuring that visually impaired people can also enjoy and benefit from the project. The project has been supported by BAE Systems’ Social Impact Fund, which allocated funding to help produce large print booklets and purchase audio recording equipment.
This new free resource complements the Library Service’s existing collection of memory bags, which are designed to support people with mild to moderate dementia - or anyone who simply enjoys taking a nostalgic journey down memory lane.
Councillor Virginia Taylor, Cabinet Member for Planning, Culture and Community Wellbeing, said:
"This project is a wonderful example of how libraries bring people together through shared stories. By capturing the memories of local shipyard workers and veterans, we're not only preserving Barrow's rich industrial heritage but also creating meaningful opportunities for connection - especially for those who may be isolated or living with memory loss.
“We are grateful for the support from BAE Systems which has helped us ensure everyone can use and benefit from this project.”
To officially launch the ‘Shipyard Memories Project’ an event was held on Friday 21 March at a Dementia Café in St Mary’s Hospice Community Hub in Barrow.
Sophie Murphy-Ayeche, Admiral Nurse for St Mary’s Hospice, said:
“The Shipyard memories session at the Compassionate Communities Hub was truly memorable and enjoyable. Our service users delighted in reminiscing about their working lives, with the fantastic props and resources helping to transport them back to their busy days at the yard. The books kindly donated by the Westmorland and Furness Libraries team have been especially popular, flying off the shelves of our mini library!”
A participant at the Dementia Café added:
“I found the session very interesting and enjoyable, even though I have never worked in the shipyard, many of my friends have. I could relate to a lot of the aspects like receiving your first pay packet after leaving school.”
