Croydon Archives to archive the legacy of the London Borough of Culture for future generations

Croydon Archives has been awarded a £249,117 grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to digitally transform Croydon Archives with a London Borough of Culture Legacy project.

The exciting heritage project, made possible through money raised by National Lottery players, will establish a digital preservation system to manage the large influx of digital archives generated through Croydon’s year as London Borough of Culture (LBoC) and make them accessible to the public. Young people from under-represented communities will be at the centre of an adjoining engagement programme, ensuring not only that they record, share and celebrate LBoC activities but that it’s done from their perspectives.

The young people involved will receive training in archiving, digital skills, research, project management, exhibitions and events.

Croydon Archives contain over 1200 archive collections relating to the London Borough of Croydon, its predecessor bodies and the diverse community it now serves. Croydon’s year as London Borough of Culture presents a unique opportunity for a step-change, as several of the flagship events have been designed and delivered by and for communities who have been under-engaged and under-represented in the Borough Archive. This project will make the most of these connections to help further develop our collections and audiences.

Commenting on the award, the Borough Archivist said:

We are thrilled to have been awarded this grant thanks to the Heritage Fund and are confident the project will support young people and the wider community to take pride in their shared Croydonian heritage by celebrating our year as London Borough of Culture and ensuring its digital legacy.

Stuart McLeod, Director of England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

It’s fantastic to see that Croydon’s year as the London Borough of Culture will be documented and digitally archived for generations to come. People will be able to look back and see the impact it had on heritage in the borough, through the eyes of Croydon’s people. We’re proud to have been able to support this project thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.