We are delighted to announce that the Archives Revealed funding programme has awarded four new scoping grants. The programme, which is administered by The National Archives and supported by the Foundation and The Pilgrim Trust, focusses on transforming access to archives for a wide range of users, enabling more people to engage with the UK’s rich documentary heritage.
The recipients of this round’s funding are
These scoping grants of up to £3,000 will fund tailored reports that incorporate expert advice on a range of areas relating to collections management and development.
More information about Archives Revealed and the grants awarded can be found on The National Archives’ website.
About the recipients and their funded projects
Explore York
The Town Clerk’s collection represents the most extensive, complex and historically significant uncatalogued record collection in Explore York’s possession. These records date back almost 400 years and are a vital record of the work of City of York Council and its predecessor bodies. They document significant developments and changes in many aspects of civic life, from drainage and waterways to public order, civil defence and education.
Their scoping exercise represents the first in-depth and complete physical and intellectual study of these records, which are currently in a complex and incoherent state. The findings of the report will inform the direction of their civic cataloguing priorities going forward.
This grant provides the pathway to opening access to this collection to members of the public and staff of City of York Council who wish to better understand and interpret how the iconic city of York has developed over time.
“We are thrilled to have been awarded an Archives Revealed scoping grant to survey the Town Clerk’s collection and would like to thank the programme partners for recognising the invaluable impact this grant will have on focusing our cataloguing work going forward. The Town Clerk’s collection represents a large and rich collection documenting 400 years of the work of City of York Council and we are extremely excited to be given the opportunity to uncover and better understand this wealth of important city records.” Fiona Williams, Chief Executive, Explore York Libraries and Archives
Hackney Archives
“We are delighted that we have been successful in securing an Archives Revealed Scoping Grant for the Sir Collins Collection. The grant will enable us to make informed decisions about the future of this nationally important collection and prioritise our next steps in accordance with the preservation and conservation needs of the wealth of media therein.
We are excited about the potential of the material in this collection to enable us to connect with local, national and international communities and enthusiastic about the opportunities that work on the collection can provide for those interested in developing their careers within the heritage sector. We thank the Archives Revealed team and judging panel for their generous support with this important work.” The team at Hackney Archives
Centre for Policy on Ageing
The Centre for Policy on Ageing (CPA) was established in 1947 by the Nuffield Foundation as an adjunct to the welfare state. Initially called the National Corporation for the Care of Old People (NCCOP) it was later transformed into an independent charity – CPA – to promote the social interests of older people through research, policy analysis and information dissemination. The centre’s information service collects, summarises and disseminates research evidence and good practice for users through online databases and services, including its specialist library collection, and is unique in being the only UK organisation systematically collecting data for bolstering more effective ways of working with and supporting an ageing UK population.
The CPA archive documents organisational development and activities over the last 74 years, including the setting up of early housing associations. The archive also records the growth of policy work in social gerontology in the UK, the setting up of Centres of Gerontology in universities, and the changing perceptions of older people from negative to positive over the last 25 years.
“We are thrilled to have been awarded a Scoping Grant, which not only helps ensure our valuable archival material will be preserved, but also means that the charity’s history of ground-breaking initiatives can be made accessible. The Grant will also play a pivotal role in supporting future social policy developments in ageing”. Gilly Crosby, Director, Centre for Policy on Ageing
Bosnia Herzegovina UK Network
Bosnian refugees came to the UK mainly in 1995 fleeing war zones and concentration camps. Some 17 local associations were initially set up right across the UK and a small national body, the Bosnia Herzegovina UK Network (BH UK) was established in 1996 as a federally controlled charity to support these associations.
Both BH UK and the local association in Derby have worked throughout the coronavirus pandemic but the enforced emptiness of the centres has allowed the organisations to think on an issue that has always been there. Both organisations have small libraries and collections on display, but materials stay organised in the way they are used ‘at the time’ e.g. for National Lottery Heritage funded projects. If children, other refugee groups and researchers are going to be able to make later use of these materials then the collections need sifting and sorting now. This scoping assessment exercise will help to make this possible.
