Our Chief Executive and Keeper, Saul Nassé, has presented his first Archive Service Accreditation certificate since joining The National Archives in the summer.
Saul presented the certificate to Westminster City Archives, the local authority archive for the City of Westminster, who have gained full accreditation for the second time. All accredited archive services must apply again for accreditation six years after their initial award to retain their accredited status.
Accredited archive services demonstrate that they meet the UK standard for collections management and access to collections, showing resilience and the ability to manage changing circumstances successfully.
The Westminster City Archives collection spans more than 800 years of documented history housed across 6,000 linear metres of shelving and 560GB of digital storage. The service provides access to official council records and extensive collections of local, family and community history material.
The Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Westminster and Councillor Ryan Jude, Cabinet member for Climate, Ecology and Culture, also attended the ceremony to congratulate the team at Westminster City Archives.
Saul said: ‘This accreditation is recognition of the hard work and dedication of the staff and volunteers of Westminster City Archives and the commitment of everyone who has supported and delivered such excellent services.’
Archive Service Accreditation is supported by a partnership of the Archives and Records Association (UK), Archives and Records Council Wales, National Records of Scotland, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Scottish Council on Archives, The National Archives, and the Welsh Government through its Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales division.
To mark 10 years of Archive Service Accreditation, the programme partners are reviewing the accreditation standard and strengthening the emphasis on inclusivity, digital preservation, sustainability and audience engagement. This process is being informed by extensive consultations with stakeholder groups, archive services and individuals who work with archive collections.
