12. What does The Mill mean to you?
Part of People Making Things Happen, a Big Lottery funded project exploring the history of The Mill.
Oral History extracts
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1. Michael Leigh
One of the things that always lay behind it was that it would be a community space, I can’t remember who it was, but somebody suggested that we’re basically talking about the neighbourhood’s living room. I remember when we first started, people would ask us ‘so what is it going to be?’ and we came up with a tagline, ‘people making things happen.’
2. Frauke Dobers
It was like a second home to me, because I knew I could always come in. I was always mostly always welcomed with a cup of tea, which I still find really welcoming. And for me feeling a sense of belonging and community because I came from a very small town in Germany and then moving to a big city like London was quite a big step. But I didn’t feel isolated, I felt like this is a really nice place to be, I could greet people on the street because I recognise them from The Mill. So really, it was the sense of the community and belonging and also realising that with the initiative of people, you can inspire other people, and you could actually make things happen. I mean, I think that’s the slogan. And I think it really fits The Mill.
3. Charlotte Major
I think one of the reasons The Mill is so special and still here is because it acts like a family. So, it’s completely inclusive. It’s not judgmental, it’s for everybody. And they aren’t just words, they are actively pursued. And I think that it’s not an easy thing to do and to navigate. And I think that the trustees and the staff and the volunteers are just so committed to making sure that that is maintained and upheld and that the purpose of why this space is here just continues, that’s not lost sight of. And I think that when you’re going through things like a pandemic, and you’re worried about making ends meet, and you’re still keeping to that core purpose, and you’re not making compromises on that, that’s pretty amazing I think. So, it’s just a pretty amazing space to have locally. I think everywhere should have a Mill.
4. Janet Bullard
We’ve had a lady come in this morning, and she had just moved to the area. And I was telling her about The Mill, she sat down, she made herself a cup of tea read the newspaper. I always say to people, there’s always someone to talk to on reception, when you come in.
5. Neesha Badhan
I think it’s a nice safe space, there’s something quite pleasant and grounding about it. I think that’s one of the things that I really like about The Mill, that there are different elements to it, you can come and just have a cup of tea or drop in and say hello, there’s always someone that’s going to say, “Hi, how are you doing?” and there’s different spaces you can hire but you don’t have to necessarily, and I think that’s one of the things that The Mill stands out from other buildings, is that you don’t have to have a huge monetary value to be in there in the first place. For example, if you come into The Mill and you want to have a cup of tea or coffee, it’s fifty pence and it’s only by donation, so actually, you don’t have to have a lot of money. You could come in and just read a book. You’ve got the lending library, people can take a book if they want to, they can bring in a book if they want to, so there’s kind of like simple ways of feeling part of The Mill without having to be like “I want to hire a space and organise something.” You can just drop in, there’s lots of little things that happen, that make it feel more like a community than a necessarily commercially-based building.
6. Zahra Ahmed
It was really nice to be able to give something but I got so much more in return from the sense of, I would never have dreamed of knitting but knitted and I also met such amazing people that have been part of my life for now ten years, and a few of us have done things outside of The Mill, which has been lovely, so I think in terms of that it also made me realise what kind of role I’d like to go in because, when I first went to The Mill I was a bit unsure what I was doing. I had graduated, wasn’t too sure, but then, having that experience, I realised I’d like to work with a charity because I got so much out of The Mill, and to find a job where I could be helping others or just, just being present in a role that might be able to support people just felt lovely. I’m currently working with a mental health charity and I don’t think I would have got that role if it hadn’t been for my experience with The Mill. I think The Mill has literally given me lots, lots and lots. And I’m so glad that day I walked in!
7. Laura Kerry
I think kind of looking back, there’s quite an interesting process of how hard they had to work to convince people and now it’s looked at as a kind of shining example of how to do it, and I think, the people that fought so hard knew that all along, how much people need persuading and sometimes people actually need to see something in action before they believe it, and I think that says a lot about local knowledge, local expertise, and how much sometimes they’re not valued enough, in decision-making.
8. Rasheeqa Ahmad
I would say it’s like a lovely family and home and living room in Walthamstow, that I know I can always pass by and find someone and sit and have a chat. It’s comfortable, you know. That’s how it feels to me, like something really familiar in a city where things can be quite transient. And you don’t always have those hubs to return to. The Mill feels like one of those secure places I’d say, that you know you can always turn up and there’ll be someone there that you know.