In January 2008 ACLI-ENAIP was awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to record and preserve the memories and personal photographs of the Italian community in Wales.

ACLI-ENAIP is the Christian Association of Italian Workers, which was set up in the UK in order to support Italian immigrants. ACLI-ENAIP has been offering vocational training to people from the British Italian community for over 30 years.

Over the last year ACLI-ENAIP has been recording the life stories and collecting photographs of 55 Italians, 16 of second generation and 39 of first generation who emigrated to Wales after the Second World War, for the Italian Memories in Wales Oral History project.

After the Second World War, high unemployment and a weak Italian government resulted in a major wave of Italian immigration to Britain. Many Italians joined family and friends who had established successful Italian run shops, cafes, restaurants and ice cream businesses in Wales before the war.

Welsh economic prosperity necessitated recruitment drives in Italy to fulfil a shortfall in the heavy industry workforce such as tinplate workers and iron ore miners. Italians also came to Wales as prisoners of war; during that time they were sent to work on farms and many were offered permanent work.

The exhibition shares their touching memories of life in Italy, the challenges they faced settling in Wales, their achievements and links with Italy now.