Fund raising

Money, of course, is essential. Although our volunteers provide their services free, materials still need to be bought. These include acid-free storage containers, and the photographic and computing equipment necessary for the digitisation projects. The Friends are also funding a member of the staff through a three-year course leading to a National Diploma in Archives and to his becoming a qualified Archivist.

The society's running costs are covered by the members' subscriptions. We greatly value our membership and the financial security they provide. If you are not already a member, you would be very welcome to join (Click here for details how to join).

The money needed for larger purchases comes from Community grants, and from organisations such as Awards for All, and various Trust Funds. Making appeals to these institutions keeps our Treasurer busy. Other sources include raffles, so the donation of good quality raffle prizes is always welcome.

We accept donations as well! If you can help our funding in any way, please contact the Treasurer by using the 'E-mail us' button.

A reason for raising funds is to purchase historic local documents and photographs. The lack of available funding in the past has led to the loss of documents that were part of the Teesside heritage. The records of the Sir William Turner Almshouses, for example, were bought by a private buyer for £5000, and a collection of shipping records and directories was sold for £480. These are now unlikely to return to Teesside.

In case other such material comes up for sale, we are building up the V.I.P. Fund ('Very Important Preservations').

We did secure funding to buy the Sotheran Collection. This consists of over 2500 photographs from the late 19th Century to the 1970s, covering Redcar, Saltburn, East Cleveland, Middlesbrough and parts of North Yorkshire.