Victoria Sherwin

Victoria Sherwin was a founder member of Myatt’s Fields Park Project in 2002, forming a group with parents she met in the park One O’Clock Club. Contributing five years to the project as a volunteer strategist, community engagement lead and fundraiser from 2002 – 2007, she helped to secure £3 million for a whole park renovation in 2010. She was then employed as community development organiser for the park renovation, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. She has sustained the park’s development through austerity and Lambeth Pioneer Park partnership to become director in 2022. Originally trained as a journalist she is an experienced fundraiser. Working for the project has allowed her to develop her community engagement, management, income generation and fundraising skills. She is a mother of two children who attended Lambeth state schools and lives near to the park. She is a director of Incredible Edible Lambeth and representative for Vassall and Coldharbour Forum.

Our mission is to collect, preserve and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK and to inspire and give strength to individuals, communities, and society.

Black Cultural Archives grew from a community response to the New Cross Massacre (1981), the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984); underachievement of Black children in British schools, the failings of the Race Relations Act 1976, and the negative impacts of racism against, and a lack of popular recognition of, and representation by people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK.  

 Our founders, including the iconic Len Garrison, came to the conclusion that what was needed was a space where members of the community, especially young people, could come and find positive representations of themselves in history and culture. This act of self-help expanded into the creation of what our founders called an ‘archive museum’ that evidenced and painted a more comprehensive picture of Black presence in Britain.

More of our Fellows

Stay in Touch

To be invited to our Gatherings and hear more about Future Connected, please sign up here.