South West Heritage Trust

The South West Heritage Trust is an independent charity and limited company founded in 2014, dedicated to the preservation, management, and celebration of the cultural heritage of Somerset and Devon in the South West of England. The Trust operates under a board of trustees and is supported primarily through long-term legal agreements with Somerset County Council and Devon County Council, which serve as its principal funders, along with support from Arts Council England and other sponsors.

History and Formation

The Trust was established in 2014 to take over the management of local archives for Devon Record Offices and Somerset Archives and Local Studies. Its creation marked a new approach to safeguarding and promoting the region's heritage assets by combining record keeping, museum curation, education, and archaeological advisory services under a single organisation.

Collections and Services

South West Heritage Trust cares for over three million museum objects and operates three county museums:

• The Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury
• The Museum of Somerset in Taunton
• The Brick and Tile Museum in Bridgwater

The Trust maintains diverse archival holdings, including born-digital records such as minutes of organisations, family and local history indexes, photographs, sound recordings, film, and published records. These collections span various media, including some obsolete formats like DAT tapes and floppy disks, requiring specialized digital preservation strategies.

Digital Preservation and Innovation

In 2017, the Trust made significant advances in digital preservation by moving to an independent IT network and hiring a dedicated IT manager. This enabled the Trust to adopt innovative technologies such as the Epexio online catalogue developed by Metadatis, replacing their previous CALM system. With funding from the New Burdens programme, the Trust invested in a bespoke digital preservation system to manage and safeguard their extensive digital backlog of records, ensuring long-term integrity, reliability, and authenticity of its digital collections.

Educational and Advisory Role

The Trust provides educational workshops and resources for local schools, including courses on family history research and reading historical handwriting. It also offers archaeological advice to local government bodies for planning applications, contributing to the protection of heritage sites within the region.

Governance and Funding

The South West Heritage Trust operates as a registered charity (number 1158791) with a governance structure consisting of a board of trustees. Its main funding sources are Somerset County Council, Devon County Council, Arts Council England, and various other funders and donors.

The South West Heritage Trust continues to play a crucial role in conserving the cultural legacy of the South West, combining traditional archival and museum practices with modern digital preservation techniques and community engagement to ensure access to the region's rich history for future generations.

[1] https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/preserving-digital-collections/digital-preservation-architecture/south-west-heritage-trust/ [2] https://swheritage.org.uk [3] https://swheritage.org.uk/about-us/ [4] https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5048720 [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_West_Heritage_Trust