A unique national project by Mencap Cymru to highlight the hidden heritage of people
with a learning disability in Wales has received a £292,900 grant by the Heritage
Lottery Fund (HLF). The three year “Hidden Now Heard” project will capture the living
memories of former residents and staff from six of Wales’ long-stay hospitals which
closed in 2006.
This is the first pan-Wales project of its kind and will capture a hidden and often painful part of Wales’
history which is at a risk of being lost forever unless it is recorded. During the three year project, six
regional museums across Wales will display exhibitions based on captured memories and research
undertaken to give a voice to the stories of former patients and staff at these hospitals that were
previously silenced. Working in partnership with the National History Museum a permanent exhibition
will be created in St Fagans so that information about Wales’ long-stay hospitals will be available and
accessible to the public, creating better understanding of a previously underrepresented part of our
society.
Jennifer Stewart, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales, said, “This is a one-of-a-kind
project that will capture a part of our national heritage that historically has not been well recorded or
preserved and we are very pleased to be able to support it. The project provides an excellent example
of how diverse HLF-funded projects are; we want to ensure all parts of our rich heritage are preserved
and maintained, not only the physical heritage. This project ensures that a hidden element of our
history will now be shared with all for many years to come.”
“The project funding comes at a critical time”, explains Mencap Cymru Director Wayne Crocker, “as
many older people with a learning disability who lived in long stay institutions are dying or suffering
from dementia and we are at risk of losing their invaluable histories which we believe can increase
awareness of the lives they lived and help us reduce the ignorance which can lead to disability related
hate crimes in Wales”
Hidden history
The story of people in Wales with a learning disability has mostly remained hidden, reflecting the
isolation and marginalisation of this group in society over the past century in particular. In 1913, the
Mental Deficiency Act called on local authorities to certify all ‘mental defectives” and establish long-
stay institutions for people with both mental health and learning disabilities. With around 65,000
people living in these institutions, dubbed ‘colonies’, many were misdiagnosed and became isolated
from society.
The period between the establishment of these institutions until the introduction and implementation
of the All-Wales Mental Handicap Strategy in 1983 had long-term implications on how people with a
learning disability were, and continue to be, perceived in society with so called ‘patients’ experiences
mostly remaining invisible.
Welcoming the grant award Lord Dafydd Wigley, Mencap Cymru Vice President said, “Many
people in Wales have a connection to this, at times, uncomfortable part our history and are aware of
the stigma attached to long-stay hospitals. This project will hopefully help change perceptions and
create better understanding of people with a learning disability and their families whilst also ensuring
that this important part of our history is recorded and remembered.”
Real Stories
The three year project will focus on six long-stay hospitals in Wales, including Hensol in the Vale
of Glamorgan, Llanfrechfa in Torfaen, Bryn y Neuadd in Conwy, Ely in Cardiff, St David’s in
Carmarthenshire and Denbigh Hospital, Denbighshire. Over 80 people will be interviewed from across
Wales with their testimonies contributing towards the creation of a clear picture of the impact of care
policies on many lives between 1913 and 2006, when the last long-stay institutions were closed.
Donna Edwards, Mencap Cymru Ambassador and Pobol y Cwm actress, whose brother Ken
has a learning disability, has highlighted the importance of documenting this history and reflecting
on its effect on people living with learning disabilities today; “We as a family were lucky, our brother
Ken was able to live in his local community and worked and contributed to our household income, but
I have met during my time as Mencap Cymru Ambassador many people who were not so fortunate
and were locked away in these institutions. Their hidden lives have left a legacy on our communities
across Wales, particularly in relation to how people with a learning disability are valued and although
the way they are treated by society today has improved, it is so important that greater understanding
and awareness is raised about this key part of our history.”