Joint Archive Service in North East Wales Wins Accreditation

North East Wales Archives (NEWA) has been awarded Archive Service Accreditation, the UK quality standard for excellence in archive service delivery. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The prestigious accolade acknowledges the joint service’s commitment to maintaining high standards in organisational health, collections management, and stakeholder engagement. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Previously, Flintshire and Denbighshire archive services had received this award individually. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

However, this marks the first time NEWA has been accredited as a joint service. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

With branches in Hawarden and Ruthin, NEWA holds nearly 5,000 archive collections dating back to 1138, encompassing the unique histories of Flintshire, Denbighshire, and their communities. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Housing over 1,000 cubic metres of documents on nearly seven miles of shelving, NEWA’s collections include records from the North Wales Hospital in Denbigh, the Flintshire War Memorial, the Court of Quarter Session, Victorian prisoner books, The Tithe War, and extensive archives from large estates across North East Wales. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden, praised NEWA’s accreditation as a “reflection of the skill and commitment of the joint services’ staff.” The Accreditation Panel commended the service for successfully merging two archives in governance and access terms, highlighting the progress made despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Councillor Emrys Wynne, Denbighshire’s Lead Member for Welsh language, Culture and Heritage, expressed delight at the service’s achievement, attributing it to the “hard work and dedication of the entire team.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Councillor Christopher Bithell, Flintshire’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Public Health and Public Protection, hailed NEWA as a prime example of Welsh local authorities collaborating to provide a valuable public service for their communities. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

For more information about Archive Service Accreditation, visit The National Archives website. To learn more about North East Wales Archives and their collections, visit the NEWA website. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

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