Hello everyone! My name is Kirstie Guildford and I have recently joined the Swaythling in the Great War project. I graduated from the University of Southampton this year with a BA in History, and I am keen to stay involved in historical research.
During my time at university, I coordinated an internal project called the Humanities Peer Mentoring Scheme. The project helped first years settle in at Southampton through the use of current students as Mentors. I plan to translate the skills and knowledge I acquired in this post to my role on the Swaythling project.
The local area of Southampton is very significant to me, as demonstrated by my decision to continue living here after university. Therefore, I am passionate about making a positive social difference in Swaythling’s community, which unfortunately rests in top 15% of deprived neighbourhoods nationally. Through the project, I hope to engage the public in a productive and interesting way, and to learn more about the local history of Southampton during World War One.
After my first day at the office, I am very excited to see how the project progresses!