British Records Association

Category: News

  • A report from our 2025 conference on ‘Records at Risk’

    This blog is written by Aimey Stevens, the recipent of a bursary place to our 2025 conference ‘Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk’, which took place on 4th November 2025.

    I was very excited to attend the British Records Association Annual Conference this year in London as a Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprentice, with support from the bursary. I was particularly interested in attending because of the theme Records at Risk, and the programme was full of practical and inspiring examples. By attending, I hoped to build my knowledge and confidence in this area to support both my learning and professional development helping me to connect what I am studying in my apprenticeship with real world practices and challenges in the sector.

    One of the sessions I was most excited about was Saving Homotopia’s Video Archive. I have always been fascinated by film and audiovisual archives, and this talk really resonated with me. I am currently working on a filmmaker’s collection in my role, and I also have a background in film production, which first inspired my interest in archives. It was fascinating to hear how the Re-Dock artist collective worked to safeguard the Homotopia material, and what their experience can teach those of us managing similar collections.
    Another highlight for me was the session led by Richard Wiltshire and Gillian Staples on The Crisis Management Team in Action: Saving the Debenhams Archives for the Nation. I found this talk particularly inspiring because it showcased how collaboration, quick thinking, and professional dedication can make a tangible difference in protecting at risk business archives. It was encouraging to see how archivists can come together to respond to crises and ensure that important records  and the stories they tell are not lost.
    I was also really looking forward to the networking opportunities the conference offered. Being based in the North West, it was fantastic to travel further afield and meet professionals and recordkeepers from across different regions. Conversations throughout the day helped me gain new perspectives and ideas, and I came away feeling more connected to the wider archival community. It was a really valuable experience as I left feeling inspired, more informed about records at risk, and motivated to continue developing my skills as I progress through my apprenticeship. And the buffet lunch was lovely!

  • Apply for a free place to our 2025 conference

    The British Records Association (BRA) annual conference ‘Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk’ will be held in London on 4th November 2025.

    We are offering a free place to an early career archivist, librarian, historian, or related heritage worker, for the best submission on the benefits of attending the conference. This could cover, for instance, why you are interested in attending, why the particular subject of the conference is important to you, and how the event might contribute to your professional development.

    Submissions of a maximum of 500 words should be emailed to the Hon Secretary  by midnight on 19th October and the decision will be made no later than 24th October. The successful applicant will be asked to write a short conference review for the BRA’s website and e-bulletin and promote the conference on social media during the day.

    The free place will cover the registration fee (including lunch, morning and afternoon refreshments) and reasonable travel expenses.

    The full programme can be found on our Eventbrite booking page.

  • Get your tickets for the 2025 BRA Conference

    Join us as we examine past, present and future risk to UK archives and discuss preservation strategies for the 21st century with this year’s conference ‘Safeguarding Future History: Meeting the Challenge of Records at Risk’.

    The conference will take place on Tuesday, November 4 · 10am – 4:30pm GMT at The Gallery, 77 Cowcross Street London EC1M 6EL.

    Book tickets on Eventbrite.

    The British Records Association has had records preservation at its core since its establishment in 1932, and this year our annual conference will focus on Records at Risk. What does risk look like for archives in the 21st century? What practical measures can we take to ensure the continued preservation of records in a context of financial pressure and fast-moving technological change? How can funders and our wider communities help?

    Our programme includes insights from academics, funders, and representatives from The National Archives and British Council. There will be practical advice to take away from recent projects to save significant collections of records at risk, and an opportunity for informal conversation with funders over tea and coffee.

    PROGRAMME:

    9.45 Registration and morning refreshments

    10.10 Welcome from the BRA

    10.15 Victoria Northwood, BRA Vice-Chair: ‘A Great National Task’: the origins of records preservation

    10.25 Georgina Brewis, Professor of Social History, University College London: Why records matter to historians and how we can help preserve collections

    11.00 Philip Gale, Head of the Collections and Cultural Property Team, Archives Sector Leadership, The National Archives: Pandemic Lessons: Evolving Anatomy and Mitigation of Archival Risks

    Panel Session: Finding Solutions for Records at Risk (chaired by Philip Gale)

    11.45 Richard Wiltshire, Trustee, Business Archives Council and Gillian Staples, Archives & Collections Lead, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster: The Crisis Management Team in Action: Saving the Debenhams Archives for the Nation

    12.10 Tim Brunsden, Independent Filmmaker, on behalf of the Re-Dock artist collective: Saving Homotopia’s video archive

    12.30 Dr Zoe Hendon, Design Historian, Curator and Lecturer, previously Head of Collections at the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture and Jackie Bishop, Project Archivist (Penguin Random House) University of Reading: What happens when the archive closes? Rehoming the Charles Hasler collection

    13.00 Lunch and British Records Association AGM

    14.15 Stephanie Grant, Director, Cultural Protection Fund, The British Council: International Perspective: the work of the Cultural Protection Fund

    Panel Session: Meet the Funders (chaired by Victoria Northwood)

    14.50 James Hodgson, Head of Archive Sector Funding, The National Archives

    15.05 Nell Hoare, Secretary, Friends of the Nations’ Libraries and The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust

    15.25 Leanne Manfredi, V&A National Programmes Lead (Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund)

    15.50 Afternoon refreshments and opportunity to network

    16.30 Conference closes

    Conference fees include full catering for the day

    For accessibility requirements please email: secretary@britishrecordsassociation.org.uk

    We look forward to seeing you in November!