To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Centre, Michelle McClean, a volunteer at The Dorothy Parkes Centre, has collected 25 stories from people in the local area, generously sharing their stories which will form our next exciting new project.

Rather than having stories recorded in a book which once looked at may be left on a shelf, we have been working with Creative Black Country Digital Firsts to record an audio version of the stories that people can listen to.

Many people who visit the centre comment on the warm welcome they receive when they arrive, most people often sharing a cup of tea and a chat with friends they have made at the centre.  With this in mind, the stories will be accessible via a teacup.  We will take a sentence that particularly stands out in each story and this will be printed onto a cup.  The cup will have QR code, which once scanned, will take you to that story, where it can be listened to.  If the person doesn't have a smart phone, they can access the stories at the centre using digital equipment available such as headphones and a tablet.

We will also print the QR code onto paper bags, which will be used to distribute food shared from our community fridge, which is another new project at the centre.  This will enable to stories to be shared outside of the centre with the wider community.  People visiting the allotment will also have access to the stories as a supply of cups will be available to use there too.

To celebrate the launch of this wonderful new project, the stories will be brought to life by Gavin and Gemma Young who are local storytellers and wordsmiths during a storytelling performance.

Everyone has a story to tell and this project gives the people of Smethwick the opportunity to share their stories.