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Council for British Archaeology/Young Archaeologists's Club PRESS RELEASE 15th February 2001 MEET THE ANCESTORS - IF YOU CAN FIND THEM! Council for British Archaeology Calls for End to Cuts in Local Government Archaeology Community access to the past is threatened with a further body blow if Southampton City Council implements proposals to close its archaeological museum and cut their highly respected Community Archaeology Service and Community Culture Unit. These proposals also threaten the closure of the thriving and successful Southampton branch of the Council for British Archaeology's Young Archaeologists Club, which has been run through the Community Archaeology Service for over five years. The future of Southampton's community archaeology and history services still weighs in the balance and will be decided at a Council Meeting on 21st February. The threat is part of a pattern of closures and cuts in archaeology and museum services across the UK over the last few years. Such local services are crucially important in providing opportunities for communities to explore their rich local heritage, and to get involved in its stewardship. A MORI poll carried out last year for the government's review of policy towards the historic environment showed that almost everybody thinks that the historic environment is important for educating people about their culture and heritage. Local authorities have a vital role to play in maintaining nationally important collections like that at Southampton, and enabling communities to discover and appreciate their own past. Archaeology and history services are an essential educational resource for local schools and provide valuable opportunities for life long learning and the promotion of social inclusion. Francis Pryor, President of the Council for British Archaeology said "Working in partnership with the voluntary sector, Southampton has been a flagship of good practice in helping people to discover their own heritage. It is an achievement that should be heralded, not ditched." Alison Bodley, National Co-ordinator of the Young Archaeologists Club said "It is ludicrous that cuts should be threatened at a time when public interest in archaeology is greater than it has ever been. Television programmes such as Time Team and Meet the Ancestors are regularly watched by between 3 and 6 million people; there are hundreds of local archaeological societies; and currently over 1200 continuing education and leisure time courses relating to archaeology and the historic environment are running across the UK. The Young Archaeologists' Club has more than trebled in size in the last five years. This trend is set to continue and accelerate. If Southampton goes ahead with the threatened cuts, it will not only mean the closure of one of our highly successful YAC branches, but also will deny access of both children and adults to a nationally important archaeological collection and local history services. A whole generation of local children will be robbed of opportunities to learn about their heritage if these closures go ahead". George Lambrick, Director of the CBA said "Cutting these services flies in the face of what people want. Without them local people will be unable to access their own heritage. The past will fall silent for them and their children. We have witnessed many cuts in recent years. This is a retrograde trend destroying services that represent the green shoots of using the historic environment to help promote education, regeneration, and social inclusion. At present there is no obligation on local authorities to provide these services and they are easy targets when savings must be found. We support current initiatives to put these services on a statutory footing alongside public libraries. This is fundamentally important if we are to end the year-on-year erosion of local heritage services." Notes for Editors 1) The Council for British Archaeology is the principal UK-wide non-government organisation that promotes knowledge, appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations. It is a non-profit making educational charity that has been nationally influential for over half a century, with a growing membership base of over 500 organisations and c.10,000 individual subscribers of all ages. 2) Southampton's Community Archaeology Service runs the local branch of the Young Archaeologists' Club for 9 to 16 year olds; it gets people involved in a community dig; it undertakes a variety of survey projects with local groups (which for example recently led to the discovery of a Roman timber bridge or jetty in the river Itchen); it is enabling local enthusiasts to record and write up unpublished collections of Roman pottery; and it takes archaeology out into the community through lectures and displays to local groups and schools. The Community Culture Unit also helps to promote archaeology alongside oral and local history and school workshops. It published the best-selling non-fiction book, Titanic Voices. The God's House Tower Museum of archaeology is a Designated Museum in recognition of its nationally important collections. 3) Founded in 1972 as Young Rescue, the Young Archaeologists' Club is the junior wing of the Council for British Archaeology. Its President is Tony Robinson, the presenter of Time Team. The club runs 55 branches across the UK, which undertake a varied programme of activities for members ranging in age from 9 to 16. 4) In the past three years the CBA has campaigned against cuts to local government archaeological and museums services in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, North Hertfordshire, North Somerset, Salford, Worcestershire and the West of Scotland. 5) "Power of Place: The future of the historic environment in England" was published last December as the final report of a DCMS/DETR sponsored review of government policy. A MORI survey undertaken as part of the review showed that 95-98% of people think that the historic environment is important for educating children and adults about the past. 6) In its headline recommendations the Power of Place report called for the removal of barriers to access, and for the historic environment to be placed at the heart of education. It also stressed the importance of leadership at local level and the vital role of local authorities in developing such services in partnership with others. The report is available from English Heritage. 7) Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn and Lord Redesdale have put forward amendments to the Culture and Recreation Bill, which is shortly to reach its Committee stage in the House of Lords, to make the maintenance and provision of archaeological records and museums services a statutory duty on local authorities. For further comment or information contact: George Lambrick 01904 671417 or 01865 735161 Alison Bodley 01904 671417 Alex Hunt 01904 671417 ============================= Council for British Archaeology Bowes Morrell House 111 Walmgate York YO1 9WA UK Tel: +44 (0)1904 671417 Fax: +44 (0)1904 671384 http://www.britarch.ac.uk =============================