6 Mar 2008 - The British Steel Archive Project

Friends will remember that Teesside Archives and the University of Teesside formed a partnership to bid for funding to catalogue, conserve and make accessible the British Steel Collection? In the last update (February 2007 Newsletter), we had already secured £60,000 from Corus, which gifted the Collection in the 1990s. Last July we submitted an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £250,000 and also approached the Community trade union (formerly the Iron & Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC)). In September 2007 we heard that Community would also pledge £60,000 to the project and just recently we got the green light from the Heritage Lottery as well! 

Having secured nearly £400,000 means that the project, which will take 3 years to complete, will
start on 1st April and recruitment for the new staff required will be underway soon. I would like to express my thanks to the staff at the Archives for their support in putting together the bid paperwork and to all the Friends who see this as a great opportunity for us all.

There is still a long way to go – we need to raise another £600,000 to keep the project on course for the full 3 years but having this level of funding in place should reassure organisations and individuals that the project is viable and worthwhile. Plans are already underway for the next round of funding applications and we will also be seeking corporate sponsorship and
donations.

The project website http://www.britishsteelcollection.org.uk will go live during March 2008.  Please visit the site and give us feedback on what you would like to see on the site.

Volunteers are vitally important to the Archives and will be crucial in this project as well. If any Friend would like to
volunteer to help with the project, please contact me on 01642 384478 or by email
at j.heggie@tees.ac.uk.