Written in the Friends of The National Archives CIO Constitution are the objects of the charity. These objects include the education of the public about the documents and records held at the Archives in Kew, in particular but not exclusively by promoting, supporting and assisting The National Archives.
Since the inception of the Friends in 1988 funds raised from membership subscriptions, legacies and generous donations have been used to support a wide range of TNA projects and activities.
TNA staff approach the Friends with their completed, detailed project funding application. This application is then presented to the FTNA Trustees at the bi-monthly council meetings where discussion is had and very careful consideration given before a decision is taken about whether or not to support the project. All funding decisions are based upon criteria which include:-
- Whether the funding enables an activity to be undertaken which would not otherwise be possible, or would be significantly reduced because of financial or practical constraints.
- Whether the funding adds value to, enhances or extends an activity beyond that initially possible due to financial constraints.
- Whether the funding provides a legacy both for the Friends, as well as for The National Archives.
Over the years the Friends have funded numerous projects involving the conservation, digitalisation, cataloguing and indexing of documents; TNA Education and Outreach projects; family days; events and conferences; the purchasing of specialist equipment and the support of interpretative activities which use original documents to produce films, radio, art, drawing and drama. In fact the FTNA Trustees will always keen to discuss and develop any new and innovative ways in which its funds can be used to support the Archives.
Over the last seven years The National Archives Education and Outreach Department have run an annual young peoples’ project. Each year a different theme is picked and in 2022 the diverse historical theme of LGBTQ history was focused upon. This tied in with the 50th anniversary of the first Pride March in London in 1972, and followed just after the Pride month of June. Further details can be found here.
For a summary list of projects we have supported from 2017-2022, please click here.
| DATE | PROJECT TITLE | SHORT DESCRIPTION | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | SEND Inventions | Pilot for a longer-term SEND project on the theme of 'inventions' to coincide with the Inventions Exhibition. more | |
| 2023 | 17th Century Prize Papers: a new source for maritime history | Funding to help examine the newly-discovered papers for the 1650s-1700, to add them to the previously-identified Prize Papers in HCA32 and HCA 30, making them ready to enter the digitisation process. | |
| 2022 | The Home Office Papers and Ireland, 1793-1803: From Rebellion to Union | Survey to be undertaken of HO 100/39-119. Funding to be used to pay for experienced Post-Doctorial researcher with specialism in 18 and 19 century IrishBritish history, for 6 months | |
| 2022 | Young People’s Summer Film project: LGBTQ history in the archives | The cost of Nigel Kellaway’s development and delivery of the project, plus for two media assistants to support. (TNA to provide further funding) | |
| 2021 | Lordship, Identities and Communities: The Duchy of Lancaster’s Medieval Estates – Cataloguing the Great Cowcher Books | Funding to calendar the Great Cowcher Books (2433 numbered charters and additional forest plea) plus condition and conservation report preliminary to digitisation. TNA record series DL 42/1-2 | |
| 2021 | Rebels in the Records film-making project | Online version of film-making project working with 14 young people using original documents. Following on from the film projects of the previous five years. | |
| 2021 | Council Housing Online for Share | Online delivery of workshop to engage learned disabled members of Share, an organisation in Wandsworth, based upon local history and the Council Housing Movement. | |
| 2021 | Your Unfortunate Servants | Making of a digitally recorded version of specially written play by Dominic Green, ‘Writer in Residence’ at TNA. Based on Poor Law Records. Joint funded with Nottingham Trent University. | |
| 2021 | Art and Archives | Three events looking at developing the nurturing and inspiration of creative practice with TNA collections. Costs towards four artists, in collaboration with the Art360 Foundation. |
More information about the projects funded by the Friends can be found on the following pages:
