‘We Are Here’ Portrait of a community

The motto for The Foxton Centre is ‘We Are Here’ and since 1969 it has been a place for the people of Preston to come together and connect. If like me, you think that community is a verb, it’s a doing word, then The Foxton Centre is somewhere that people 'do’ community.

In this project I have been spending time alongside staff, volunteers and members of the community to listen to their stories, hear about their experiences, and to understand more about what it represents to the people involved - creating a set of photographs along the way to visualise the story.

The project is all about showing appreciation, recognising and making visible the contributions that people have made and continue to make to the life of their community.

I recorded the conversations with some of the people involved and created a short video featuring local people, volunteers and staff describing their experiences at The Foxton.

I am hugely grateful to all of the staff, volunteers and community members that have taken part and shared what The Foxton Centre means to them. Huge thanks also to Onward Homes for funding the project!!

The motto ‘We Are Here’ kept cropping up in all the conversations I was involved in, so much so that it became the title of this exhibition! It got me thinking about the meaning of this phrase and what it represents.

‘We Are Here’ can be interpreted in different ways. On the one hand it’s about physical presence. A spot on the map - a place where people can come for help.

Assuring us that we are not alone in our struggles, it is a promise of friendship and an invitation. A way of saying that challenges are often easier to face as part of a community.

Acknowledging all that has gone before ‘We Are Here’ connects the past and present while offering hope for the future.

This exhibition is a way of visualising the contribution The Foxton Centre has made and continues to make in the community.

The Foxton Centre is about to undergo a huge transformation as the old building is knocked down and a brand new space is built, the images created in this project will find a home in the new building and serve as a reminder of what has gone before - although I feel strongly that while the physical space is important, it’s what goes on inside the building that matters. The people who create a sense of belonging and welcome.