£530,000 for community archives

The funds will help archive projects in Norfolk and Cambs

A total grant of nearly £530,000 has been awarded to two archive projects that aim to open up the history of people living in Norfolk and Cambs.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded the Cambs Community Archive Network £299,500 and Archiving Rural Community Heritage, Norfolk, £230,000.

The schemes will set up networks of volunteer researchers across both counties to produce online archives.

Local eminiscences and records should be available through the internet.

The Cambridgeshire scheme aims to set up and link 40 local volunteer groups across the county.

Community groups

As well as playing an active role in recording and interpreting their heritage, the groups will be able to learn a range of new skills.

Three members of staff will be employed to set up and run the network, and there will be 40 community archive groups established in museums and community access points across the county.

HLF's grant to Norfolk County Council will help create a network of community archive groups based at 12 libraries in market towns including Kings Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Downham Market.

Groups in each location will be run by volunteers who will be trained by Norfolk Adult Education to collect and record stories of local life contributed by members of the public.

John Gretton, cabinet member for cultural services at Norfolk County Council, said: "Local history research is always a popular activity in market towns, and is most effective when conducted by people who really understand the community and the families who have created it over the centuries."