Applied history studies are currently dominated by the presumption that policymakers lack access or attention to the past. This so-called history deficit is often resolved by providing analogies, a method that carries the implicit conviction that societal issues should be tackled by learning something from the past itself. In opposition to that presumption, this article introduces a ‘uses of the past’ approach derived from the idea that something can be learned and done with historical narratives that already circulate in the current communication efforts of social actors. Drawing on empirical research, the article presents a guideline for assessing how public institutions use the past, offering advice on strategically refining these historical narratives through a reflective, participatory approach. Specifically, it addresses the wicked problem of distrust in public institutions, proposing a co-creative model in which applied historians collaborate with stakeholders to refine public communication and foster trust.