Looking Back to Move Forward
Withernsea Riff-Raff is a community-led regeneration and engagement project rooted in the heart of Withernsea.
Its purpose is simple but powerful. To encourage people of all ages to explore their town, rediscover its stories, and take pride in the place they call home.
Through historic postcards, QR-enabled walking trails, exhibitions, and digital storytelling, the project blends heritage with technology. It transforms everyday streets into gateways to memory and connection.
This is not just about the past. It is about strengthening Withernsea’s future.
Why It Matters & What Makes It Different
Withernsea has a rich seaside heritage and a strong community spirit. Yet like many coastal towns, it has faced challenges over time. This project responds by turning history into something active, visible, and shared.
Together, these eight elements define the vision:
Encouraging Local
Exploration
Inspiring residents to rediscover their own streets, landmarks, and hidden corners with fresh perspective and renewed pride.
Meaningful Visitor
Engagement
Attracting visitors in an educational and immersive way that goes beyond the traditional seaside experience.
Supporting Local
Businesses
Increasing footfall through guided trails that naturally lead people past cafés, amusements, shops, and local venues.
Digital
Access
Mobile-friendly storytelling powered by QR codes, creating a growing and accessible digital heritage archive.
Preserving Historic
Postcards
Digitising and showcasing an extensive collection of Withernsea postcards that capture over a century of change and character.
Interactive
Walking Trails
Three structured routes. Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each unlocking different layers of the town’s story through QR discovery points.
Community
Exhibitions
Printed and framed postcard displays hosted locally, including exhibitions at St Nicholas Church that bring history into shared spaces.
Future
Expansion
3D interactive maps, themed trails such as bike routes and veterans’ heritage walks, plus historian-led experiences designed to keep the project evolving.
By combining walking routes with curated history and digital storytelling, Withernsea Riff-Raff turns heritage into something lived and experienced, not stored away in archives.
It is both nostalgic and forward-thinking. Traditional in content, modern in delivery.
A Shared Vision. Looking Ahead.
Withernsea Riff-Raff is built on collaboration. It brings together residents, collectors, local organisations, and community partners who share a belief in the value of place, memory, and connection.
The vision is long-term. To create a living, evolving archive of Withernsea’s history. To develop walking trails that continue to grow. To establish a regular rhythm of exhibitions, events, and community activity that strengthens pride in the town year after year.
As the project develops through community support and funding opportunities, future plans include expanded digital mapping, new themed heritage trails, enhanced exhibitions, and structured educational engagement for schools and families.
Withernsea Riff-Raff is more than a heritage initiative. It is a collective effort rooted in local identity, shaped by the people who care about this place.
And it is only just beginning.
The People Behind the Project
Behind every postcard, trail, and exhibition are individuals deeply connected to Withernsea’s story.
Darrin Stevens
Darrin Stevens is a Withernsea-based creative lead whose work blends artistic craft, historical sensitivity, and a deep commitment to community life.
Known for shaping the visual identity of heritage events and local initiatives, Darrin brings together design, storytelling, and collaboration to create work that resonates beyond the page.
With expertise in watercolour, historical poster design, and stylistic interpretation from Victorian to mid-century travel aesthetics, his work honours local memory with authenticity and imagination.
The Withernsea Riff-Raff identity reflects this approach. Restored photographs, carefully considered typography, and evocative layouts that celebrate the past while inviting new audiences into the story.
Beyond design, Darrin is an organiser and advocate. He coordinates exhibitions, guides public engagement, and leads creative direction with clarity and warmth.
His guiding principle is simple.
“Looking back to move forward.”
Wendy Graves
Born in Withernsea in 1960, Wendy Graves has dedicated her life to preserving and celebrating the town’s history.
Her journey began as a child collecting fossils on the local beach. That early curiosity developed into an extraordinary collection of fossils and Withernsea memorabilia, including historic postcards gathered over decades.
Wendy has curated exhibitions, led history walks, and shared her knowledge with residents and visitors alike. In 2024, she began collaborating with Darrin Stevens to digitise postcard collections entrusted to them by local residents, always ensuring proper acknowledgement and respect for the original images.
Together, this work formed the foundation of Withernsea Riff-Raff.
Wendy continues to develop mapping projects, heritage boards, and guided walks that make Withernsea’s history accessible, engaging, and visible in everyday life.
Helping Withernsea Shine Again
To bring the project fully to life, investment and grant funding are being sought. Every contribution directly supports delivery, content creation, and community engagement.
Support Riff Raff
Help our organisation by donating today! Donations go to making a difference for our cause.
Support a project rooted in place, pride, and shared heritage.
1,259+
People already joining
10k+
A growing digital collection capturing Withernsea from 1900 to 2000.
2k+
Every step helps people explore the town and support local life.
101
Scan, read, and listen to stories tied to real places across Withernsea.
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Short, medium, and long routes designed for all ages and abilities.