About our mission
We want to raise awareness of some of the exceptional people who walked the streets of Burton upon Trent before us. ​One way of paying tribute to them is to raise funds that help people today in our Staffordshire town. Our vision is to bring the community together to enjoy and discuss stories from the past.
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Our latest project is the launch of a book about forgotten Burton activist Vale Rawlings. It is called Friendship, Love & Truth and is available priced £15.99 by emailing valerawlingsprojectcic@gmail.com. All profits go to YMCA Burton and SARAC (Sexual Abuse Rape Advice Centre).
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We also continue to deliver talks and raise awareness of fairground ride entrepreneurs Orton & Spooner. Money raised by royalties from a book about them, and talks, goes to Burton & District Mind.
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World War One home front hero Lily Thomas is our final story. Proceeds from talks about Lily also go to YMCA Burton and SARAC.
Who we are
Elaine Pritchard wrote a play about World War One home front hero Lily Thomas of Stapenhill in 2021 and a book about fairground ride makers and entrepreneurs Orton & Spooner in 2022.
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William is Secretary of the East Staffordshire Trade Union Council and a trades union historian. The dissertation for his MA looked at industrial relations around the time of World War One.
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When Elaine and William began to talk about Vale's story they knew they wanted to put Elaine's fundraising on a more formal footing so together they founded The Vale Rawlings Project CIC in February 2024.
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​Elaine and William are donating their time and skills to the CIC and all profits from both the play and book about Vale will be split between two Burton charities that fit well with his story: Burton YMCA (because of his efforts to house and feed those in need) and SARAC (because of his support for vulnerable female factory workers).
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What we're doing
​Author and playwright Elaine Pritchard is available to give talks to groups and organisations about Vale Rawlings, Lily Thomas or Orton & Spooner in return for a donation to the Vale Rawlings CIC. She can be contacted at valerawlingsprojectcic@gmail.com.​
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Her Orton & Spooner book Labour of Love can still be bought from Amazon and royalties go to Burton & District Mind.
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The Vale Rawlings book, Friendship, Love & Truth, is available at the CIC's ko-fi store or by emailing valerawlingsprojectcic@gmail.com