What small piece of history puts you in touch with the Island more than any other?

A new competition organised by charity Soldier On and supported by the Isle of Wight County Press will explore this.

The competition will support Islanders who feel they are vulnerable, socially isolated, lonely or disadvantaged, to improve their well-being and, where needed, employability value.

We are looking to hear from individuals as well as encourage other charities, council departments, GP surgeries, schools and colleges and youth clubs to raise awareness of this competition.

Entrants will be asked to write a 500-word article that will include up to 100 words introducing yourself.

The other 400 words will telling readers about an aspect of the Island’s history that has real meaning and has contributed to your sense of who you are, either individually or as part of a community.

It could be anything from a small object of historical significance to a building, a piece of industrial machinery or mode of transport, anything you like.

The judges will be TV historian Dan Snow, Dr Peggy Brunache, archaeologist, food historian and lecturer in the history of Atlantic slavery at the University of Glasgow, Reuben Loake, managing director of Isle of Wight Jobs, and Alan Marriott, editor, IW County Press.

Readers will be able to appreciate, from the writing, what the piece of history is and how it affects your life today.

Things to think about will be how the object motivates you, how it is connected to your values and how it may have influenced your behaviour, outlook on life, beliefs, emotions and goals.

Entries should be emailed to nicholas@soldieron.org.uk by November 30. (Please write ‘IoW Heritage competition’ in the subject box).

Ten entries will eventually be chosen to be judged and the winning article will be published both in the County Press and online.

Additionally, the competition winner will be offered a half-day with the County Press to help them further develop their writing style.

Please note, the training will be given when the newspaper deems it safe to invite visitors into their office due to the Covid pandemic.

Nicholas Harrison, of the charity SoldierOn, said "This project would like to a) reveal less well-known heritage on the island, b) help participants develop their communication in writing skills and c) explore how aspects of the past affect the lives of people today.

"Participants who are unemployed and actively seeking work, voluntary roles or further education, could potentially use their participation in this competition as a way of demonstrating innovation, proactivity, collaboration, curiosity, creativity, ability to persuade and influence, communication, contextualising and self-awareness.

"Not only are these abilities in great demand by employers but you will have an interesting project to talk about with potential employers allowing you to ‘stand out from the crowd’ which is important when it comes to securing work. The key skill here is writing and communication.

"Where the heritage is located within your home or is on private property, the County Press will work with you to ensure efforts are made to safeguard your anonymity and maintain the location’s privacy."