Partners
Volunteers
Within the Centre for Local History Studies and since the inception of the Kingston Local History Project in 1996, the volunteers have been the backbone of the project. The core team (25-30 strong) have contributed a huge amount of their combined time and effort in the setting up of the Local History Database, undertaking the bulk of the fundamental tasks of copying documents, inputting and checking material. Without their help the initial goal of inputting the Census records from 1851 through to 1891 (145,000 records in the first two years), would not have been achieved, nor would we be able to continue to maintain the unique scope of the project, detailing in excess of two hundred thousand records over a fifty year period.
Not only have the team helped in the actual creation of the database but, as most of the them are local people, with an interest in Kingston and local genealogy, the project has benefited from their personal experience and anecdotal evidence. All of this has been invaluable in helping to build up a picture of life in C19 Kingston and reinforcing our links with the local community.
As new projects begin within the Centre for Local Studies so new teams of volunteers are recruited or existing volunteers willingly transfer from one project to another according to the workload. Another huge undertaking from our teams of volunteers is creating the database for the Great Ormond Street Project and there is currently a huge effort concentrated on inputting and checking records for this major study which will result in information on over 50,000 children admitted into the hospital in its first fifty years.
Our Volunteers are an eclectic bunch, recruited mainly from word of mouth or in response to local or specialist press coverage. They range from BBC reporters and producers, retired doctors, librarians through to undergraduates with their eye on the archivist's job. Although some are already adept at their tasks, many have had to pick up new skills along the way, such as basic computer skills, document interpretation and even having to brush up on their Latin when transcribing certain church records. All who are able have had the opportunity to visit different record offices, the Great Ormond Street archives or view parish and cemetery records in situ.
With a great deal of the work being mundane, motivation has been a key feature in the success of the team and to that end regular update meetings are held to discuss progress and achievement, and to talk about where the project is going and their very necessary involvement. Occasional social gatherings are arranged as a means of thanking the volunteers for all their hard work and as a way of cementing the team.
Without doubt, the volunteers have contributed a huge amount to the Centre and have provided a great deal of energy, initiative and experience. In return, hopefully, they have gained enjoyment, enrichment and a well deserved sense of achievement in seeing their hard work come to fruition.
Borough
The Centre also works very closely with the local community. The Surrey History Centre and the local history staff of the Kingston Museum & Heritage Centre have made records readily available for transcription or photocopying, whilst officers of the Royal Borough of Kingston have arranged access to various local authority archives.
In return, members of the public have open access to a copy of the Kingston Local History Project's Kingston Lifecycles' Database, which has been installed at the Museum & Heritage Local History Office at North Kingston. This is a valuable and time saving tool for the local and family historian and students.
We work closely with the Kingston Museum and the Heritage Local History Office to ensure we support relevant events and joint projects. At the recent 'Glorious Victorians' Exhibition, commemorating the death of Queen Victoria, our 'Meet the Children of Victorian Kingston' posters were displayed and the Kingston Local History Database was available for public use. We regularly give talks on aspects of our findings to meetings at the Museum and keep close contacts with their Education Officer to help further our moves into using the database as a teaching resource.
The Kingston Register Office, having allowed us to record the Civil Registration Indexes for nineteenth century marriages and baptisms, have now made our version available to the public through the Kingston Borough website.
