Surrey County Council is pleased to announce a year-long health and wellbeing partnership project between Surrey Heritage and It’s Not Your Birthday But.. (INYBB). The ‘What Keeps Us Well’ project has been awarded £99,781 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and will run from August 2025 to July 2026.
‘What Keeps Us Well’ will explore how people in Surrey have kept themselves well throughout history. With mental health issues on the rise, now is the ideal time to turn to the untapped resource of archival collections written and created by Surrey’s people to inspire conversations around wellness, identity and belonging.
The six-miles of records preserved at Surrey History Centre tell the story of how local people improved their wellbeing over the past nine centuries through food, exercise, coming together for shared activities, taking notice of the world around them, hobbies and recreation. By exploring these historical documents, the project hopes to resonate with communities in Surrey and inspire them to look after their well-being.
The project will see INYBB and Surrey Heritage work alongside three key community partners:
- The Halow Project: supporting neurodiverse young people in Guildford and Woking
- Surrey Gypsy Traveller Communities Forum: fostering understanding and cultural inclusion across the county
- Surrey Youth Groups: including LGBTQ+ youth, carers, and neurodiverse young people in Woking and Knaphill
Together with INYBB artists, facilitators, and Surrey Heritage archivists, the project will deliver:
- 36 creative community workshops
- training and community days at Surrey History Centre
- a co-created exhibition to showcase and celebrate what we find in the archives and what it inspires us to create
- a documentary-style film of the project
- a book of written work inspired by the project
- a digital wellness guide that makes heritage more accessible for present and future generations
- an open creative call-out for artists and writers across Surrey and beyond to respond to a single point of inspiration
The project aims to engage over 46,500 people, especially those currently under presented in heritage activity.
Denise Turner-Stewart, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities, said: “We are extremely pleased to have received an award from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the ‘What Keeps Us Well’ project. The Surrey History Centre in Woking plays a key role in documenting the story of our county and breathes life into local history for all our residents to enjoy. So, it’s fantastic to see the Surrey History Centre’s ongoing contribution to Surrey’s past, present and future recognised and supported. We hope that, by connecting our residents to the history of the people who lived in their towns and villages before them, they will be inspired by Surrey’s nature, places and people to enhance their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. We are also incredibly proud to be working with our partners representing our youth and minority groups on this project. Heritage is for everyone and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate the rich tapestry of communities that make up our wonderful county of Surrey.”
Wendy Smithers, Director at INYBB said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to better understand how people in Surrey kept themselves well and take time to reflect on how we can keep ourselves well in 2025 and beyond it. We’re excited to see what emerges from our co-created approach and by bringing people in our community together who might not otherwise meet. Heritage provides a rich and multi-faceted way to explore humanity and the creativity it can inspire is limitless.”
INYBB are calling on volunteers, venue and artists/writers to help make the project a success. We are looking for:
- Volunteers to help with exhibitions, archive research and open call entries
- Libraries, health centres, museums and other venues to host the free exhibition
- Artists and writers as part of an open call this autumn
Email hello@itsnotyourbirthday to express interest. Stay updated at www.inybb or follow @itsnotyourbirthday on social media.
Surrey News 
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