Wooler scouts to play key role in archives project after council awarded £100,000 lottery funding

Northumberland County Council’s archives team has received a grant of £103,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

‘Digitally Disrupting the Archives’ will work with youth groups in Wooler and the Tyne Valley, using digital platforms and techniques to create visual content showing the relevance of archive materials in an entertaining way.

The funding support means the council can introduce a new generation to the work of the archives team, enabling them to discover how the past affects the future, and to explore the history of their home county.

Ideas for the year-long project were devised by the young people themselves - from making films, TikToks and YouTube videos to creating an escape room.

At the end of the project a series of events will showcase the end results - from a film ‘premiere’ to a touring escape room. This will be shared with the wider community throughout Northumberland, with the aim of boosting interest in the archives and generating real interest from young people.

The groups will work closely with a project officer and archive staff and will visit the council’s archives centres at Berwick and Woodhorn to view collections in situ, as well as other cultural and heritage sites to find inspiration.

Northumberland Archives holds six linear miles of records – the oldest dating back to 1156 – and helps residents, academics and staff use those records for research. Last year it engaged with more than 2,000 students through its school activities programme.

Cllr Jeff Watson, cabinet member for culture, heritage and libraries, said: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are confident the project will inspire young people to actively engage with their heritage.

“We see this as a pilot scheme and after this initial project will aim to expand it to other areas of Northumberland.

“It will benefit our staff too, who will no doubt learn a thing or two from the ‘born digital’ generation they will be working alongside.

“This is a generous grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund which will benefit young people in our rural communities, and I look forward to seeing the film footage and following the clues to escape!”