Service Impact - the First Ten Years
What is the Archive Lottery Advisory Service?
The Archive Lottery Advisory Service was established, under the aegis of The National Council on Archives (NCA), in 1997. Its aim is to assist the archive sector to take advantage of the new funding opportunities opened up by the creation of the National Lottery. Joint funding by The National Archives (TNA) and the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council (MLA), enables the NCA to employ a full-time Archive Lottery Adviser.
What has been the impact of the role on the sector 1997-07?
· 192 projects have used the option to have the Archive Lottery Adviser review their applications prior to submission
· These projects amount to around £65.4 million in Heritage Lottery Fund grants drawn into the sector.
What has been the impact of the role on the sector in 2006-7?
· 31 projects that have received advice and support from the service gained new awards[1]. In responses to a satisfaction survey 81% rated the review of application prior to submission as ‘highly valuable’, i.e. the highest rating.
· These awards amounted to £19.8 million in lottery grants drawn into the sector.
· 30 new posts were advertised during the year as being part of HLF-funded projects in publications aimed at the sector.
· At any one time around 150 projects/organisations are being supported in development.
· 5 workshops were held to provide support to applicants to the ‘Your Heritage’ grant schemes.
· Over a week’s training course in May, 6 individual planning training sessions were held and two visits organised for over 40 delegates. This course was co-hosted by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
· A new Project Planning for Beginners workshop was developed and trialled.
Partnership working
· Support for The National Archives ‘Access to Archives’ programme including advice and guidance to the 17 projects that successfully gained lottery funding as part of ‘Archives 4 All’.
· Successful application with University College London for a British Academy grant (£7,500) to fund a research project to look at the impact of the Heritage Lottery Fund on archivists’ perceptions of their roles and responsibilities.
· Archive Lottery Adviser presentations at events organised by Archives for London, the Cornish Archives Network, MLA South East, MLA London, The Royal Society of Medicine, School Archivists’ Group, Society of Archivists South East Region, as well as the Society of Archivists and NCA conferences.
Funding support
In addition to funding from The National Archives (TNA) and the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council (MLA), in 2006-7 contributions to the service (in cash or in kind) were received from: Alison Hogan of Anchor Partnership arranged through Arts & Business, The British Library, Heritage Lottery Fund, London Metropolitan Archives, National Archives of Scotland.
[1] Broken down regionally Eastern (4) London (7) NW (3) Scotland (3), SE (5) SW (2) Yorkshire (5) West Midlands (2)
