Words from the Households We Have Worked With

We had a full box of family letters going back thirty years that nobody had opened properly in a decade. The programme took us through it over four sessions. There was no pressure to make decisions quickly, and the facilitator was patient when my mother needed time to set aside certain items. The handbook they prepared for us is something we actually use — we looked something up in it last week.

I attended the Saturday workshop with my sister after we realised neither of us knew where to find our household's old correspondence. It was a half-day well spent. The binder is a bit more detailed than I thought I needed, but the system makes sense and my sister can use it without asking me to explain it. One session was not quite enough for everything we brought — we ended up booking the follow-up conversation to finish what we started.

I came in not really knowing what I wanted from the session — I just had a bag of old letters from my parents and nowhere to put them properly. Nadia walked me through a simple labelling system that I could actually carry on at home. The folder kit they gave me is small enough to sit on a shelf without looking out of place. I appreciated that the session stayed completely out of the content of the letters and focused only on how to organise them.

Our family records were spread across three different properties and had not been brought together in years. Roslan managed to work through the inventory with us over several sessions without making it feel rushed. The scanning checklist was particularly useful — something I would not have put together on my own. I am glad we chose the full programme rather than trying to do it in a single day.

My husband and I attended the workshop together, which I think made a difference. We left with a binder that both of us understand and can add to independently. The session was well-paced — we had time to ask questions without holding up the group. I have already recommended it to my sister-in-law.

A good starting point for us. I was initially uncertain whether a two-hour session would be enough to be useful, but we left with a clear plan and a folder structure I could start applying at home the same afternoon. The labelling guide handles mixed-language materials, which is exactly what we have. I will likely come back for the workshop once I have processed the first batch of letters.