雷汀華人協會   READING CHINESE ASSOCIATION

13 October 2014

The Reading Chinese Association has received £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for an exciting project which will tell the story of the Chinese community in the town for the first time.

From the journey from China to overcoming the language barrier, The History of Chinese People in Reading project aims to document the lives of Chinese people in the community by collecting oral histories, photos and memorabilia.

The project will be led by volunteers from both the local community and Reading Chinese School. As well as the creation of dedicated webpages and an educational booklet, the project will see displays and talks hosted at Reading Library Service and Reading Museum – helping to fill an important gap in local history.

Erika Wong, frrom the Reading Chinese Association, said: “Little is documented about the Chinese community in Reading but we have many residents keen to share their stories – one of our members has just turned 90 and many are second and third generation in England. We’re really pleased to receive this funding to help us find out more about when they arrived, what difficulties were faced and how they built their lives in England.”

Stuart McLeod, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund South East, said: “The Chinese community is inextricably woven into Reading’s rich history but the story is as yet untold. We\’re pleased to support this project as it brings the community together to celebrate their past and share this unique heritage for the first time.”

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported over 36,000 projects with more than £6bn across the UK. For more details, please click here.