We need your help to uncover the stories that matter

Here at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre our mission is to collect, preserve, promote and value the culture and heritage of the county.

We are the main archive repository for Wiltshire, a statutory service for the storage of council records as well as collections from other groups and individuals relevant to the history and life of the county. If you would like to find out more about us and what we do, please take a look at our Welcome to WSHC film clip on our YouTube channel: @wiltshireandswindonhistory8358

Each person is unique, and we all play a part in shaping our county’s history. We want to ensure that every voice is represented within our collections. In this way we can share what is it like to live and work in Wiltshire with those who come after us. We want to make our collections more inclusive, for and about every community, and in particular communities which have been under-represented or marginalised throughout history.

To do this, we need your help. If you have lived experience in this area, we would like to invite you to become a valued member of our Wiltshire Inclusion Panel.

An entry in one of Wiltshire’s parish registers for Brittania, a former slave who lived in the county in Tudor times

How does the Panel work?

The Inclusion Panel meets once a month on a Monday evening at 7pm, in person at the History Centre or online via Teams. In a relaxed, friendly atmosphere we catch up with and discuss our achievements, and undertake research for the tasks we set out in our quarterly action plan. To find out more, please refer to the WIP’s Scoping Document by clicking on this link.

The Panel’s aims are to:

• Investigate the material in WSHC’s current collections for hidden stories
• Support WSHC to actively promote our collections
• Help WSHC locate future acquisitions
• Discuss which material should be in WSHC’s collections
• Provide input on WHSC’s collecting strategies and priorities
• Advise WSHC and work in partnership with us to collect and care in the present for the future

Why become an Inclusion Panel member?

• The joy of discovering untold stories and learning more about the county, its people and places
• Spending time with likeminded people and discovering more about others from different backgrounds, sharing insight and knowledge
• Using your expertise and skills to help others meet shared goals
• Have an active voice in the future of Wiltshire’s history and heritage
• Gain easy access to welcoming, experienced heritage staff; a supportive network and environment
• The opportunity to learn new skills
• Sharing your newfound experiences with others to help them discover the collections that you will come to know and love

The Wiltshire Inclusion Panel are currently creating case studies to highlight some of the stories hidden in WSHC’s collections. We are giving names to the nameless; highlighting strength, adaptability, resilience and independence of spirit through our work.

Part of the Diverse Communities library collection at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre

Access

We want to ensure that everyone who is interested in joining the Panel is able to do so. Please let us know about any access needs you may have, and we will work with you to ensure these are not a barrier to your involvement with the panel.

Would you like to help us, but do not have any lived experience in a diverse community? We still need your help. You are welcome to join the ‘Friends of the WIP’ and can get involved in our research work; please contact the WIP co-ordinator for more information.

Here’s what some of our WIP members have to say:

“ I decided to join the Inclusion Panel to help raise awareness of hidden disabilities.  While they have always existed, they are only gaining recognition now as we share our stories.  A hidden disability is described on the government’s website as “a disability or health condition that is not immediately obvious.  It can defy stereotypes of what people might think disabled people look like”.  Unfortunately, disability can happen to anyone at any time.  I think it is important as a society that we show compassion and understanding wherever possible and all members of society have an equal ‘voice’.”

“I joined the Inclusion Panel because as an autistic woman, I am acutely aware of the lack of representation in published history. The panel provides an opportunity to unearth the stories of marginalised groups, working with enthusiastic volunteers in an inclusive environment. I am relishing the chance to research, discuss and, ultimately, share amongst the wider community, the stories of local people who reflect the diversity of human experience. ”

“I joined the Inclusion Panel to learn more about local history. This has always interested me, and I like to learn more on local stories which may have not made the news for lack of public interest yet were still an important even for the people concerned. Working with the History Centre has given me a great chance to do this and in a short space of time have already unearthed many stories and events which mattered to the people of Wiltshire in the past. I hope to continue this into the future and continue to share Wiltshire’s great unearthed history.”  

Julie Davis, the Wiltshire Inclusion Panel co-ordinator

The Panel’s co-ordinator is Julie Davis, the Local Studies Lead at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre. Julie has ADHD and is passionate about doing all she can to help everyone access the History Centre and feel a part of WSHC.

If you are interested in joining the Wiltshire Inclusion Panel or the Friends of the WIP and would like to know more, please contact Julie via Email: julie.davis@wiltshire.gov.uk or Tel. 01249 705534

The Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre is home to Wiltshire Council’s Heritage Service. We fully support and endorse Wiltshire Council’s commitment statement on equality and inclusion which can be viewed via this link