About our mission
We want to raise awareness of some of the exceptional people who walked the streets of Burton-on-Trent before us.
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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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If you think you can help us in any way, please email us at valerawlingsprojectcic@gmail.com.
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Who we are
The Vale Rawlings Project CIC was founded in February 2024 by writer Elaine Pritchard and historian William Walker.
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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 has an MA. His dissertation looked at industrial relations around the time of World War One.
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Vale Rawlings merchandise will be on sale through our shop page at ko-fi - starting with four commemorative postcards.
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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
In 2024 we reached out to the Burton-on-Trent community and invited them to be part of a dramatic re-telling of the story of Vale Rawlings. This took place on December 6 at Burton Town Hall.
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For the latest updates, visit our News page.
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A company is lined up to publish a book about Vale Rawlings in 2025.
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We are also looking for groups who would like a talk about Vale Rawlings in return for a donation to the Vale Rawlings CIC.
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By fundraising and obtaining sponsorship and donations we were able to meet the essential costs of staging the performance of Strikers! in December 2024, meaning that all ticket money was able to go to our chosen charities. ​