As part of the Watford FC Community Sports & Education Trust’s 30-year anniversary celebrations, a series of accounts from staff, volunteers, partners and participants have been compiled in the ‘30 Stories for 30 Years’ publication, that also includes the annual Impact Report for 2022.
All of the stories, and the Impact Report, can be viewed online HERE. Should you wish to request a hard copy, please email kristian.hitchins@watfordfc.com.
Next up is the story of Watford Museum Curator Sarah Priestley...
Twenty years ago, Watford Museum was planning an exhibition to be called Goal-den Years that would focus on the highly successful Graham Taylor eras at Watford Football Club. During the extensive research work that goes into an exhibition, Museum curator Sarah found that a theme soon became clear.
She said: “Part of that was mapping out the community history and discovering about the Junior Hornets scheme and the Trust, seeing how much it meant to people, and collecting some of those stories. People were telling me this is important; this needs to be collected and needs to be shared.”
From there, a relationship formed between the Trust and both the Museum and its curator, Sarah, who also happened to be a football fan and now Watford FC season ticket holder.
Sarah continued: “We were then working together with the Learning Centre [a space at Vicarage Road Stadium managed by the Trust], talking to the young people and children, helping them connect with the club. They [the Trust] were doing amazing things there.”
That important connection continued over the years, and there have been countless examples of collaboration for the benefit of the local community. A particular project highlighted by Sarah was the engagement with 16 and 17-year-olds as part of the Trust’s delivery of the National Citizen Service.
Teenagers soon got to work on painting walls and helping collect items for a specific Watford FC section, including the FA Cup final rosette from 1984. Another was the Heritage Lottery Funded project for the Trust’s 25th-anniversary celebrations, supporting the collation of stories for the commemorative book and hosting a unique exhibition looking back at the charity’s history.
The partnership then expanded further still, with the pivotal role of Watford Museum in the early stages of a brand-new project, Golden Memories, using recollections, merchandise, and unique items to shape the success of the programme, supporting people with a mild-to-moderate dementia diagnosis to reminiscence about times familiar to them.
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“That was so exciting for us, seeing how history and football heritage can really connect and help bring people joy,” Sarah said.
The list could go on and on as the Museum continues to support, most recently being a stop-off as part of the fundraising charity walk, The Taylor Trek. Yet, this wasn’t just a partnership of organisations, but a partnership of people, as the Trust also helped Sarah and her family.
Sarah continued: “I’ve now started to go to Feel Good Fitness at the Meriden Community Centre. I’ve not been to a gym in way over 30 years and for me, I don’t think I could have gone anywhere else, but knowing it was the Trust, I felt I could go and I’m absolutely loving it. Helping people lead happier, healthier lives is incredible.”
As the mum of a trans teenager, the work the Trust and club both carry out in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) space is also vitally important and a reason for pride from Sarah, who said: “Everything is so inclusive, so I know my family would be included. It’s really important to me to know the club and Trust cares.”
There’s clearly a mutual benefit here and Sarah is clear about why this relationship works. She added: “The Trust is just amazing, so inspiring, and they do so much. It’s out there making such a difference and always looking to improve and looking for the next opportunity and challenge. I love that.”
