Information

Girlguiding Cymru’s Archive, stored  at Broneirion, has a collection of first-hand information spanning more than one hundred years. It provides a window on Welsh Guiding events, activities and significant members, both home and abroad.

Its content is varied with items by girls, leaders, groups and Girlguiding. It includes photos, log books, documents, badges, uniforms and many other artefacts.

In the 1980s work started in earnest when Miss Helena Thomas became the Wales Archivist. A few initial box files increased to a room full of archives, having received hundreds of donations from all over Wales.   Helena and her team tackled the mammoth task of cataloguing and storing the array of items. The archive doesn’t stand still and continues to grow as we accept new archive material.

If you wish to contribute to our Throwback Thursday archive please email them to lisa@girlguidingcymru.org.uk

The development and advantages of technology brought links with new partners.

National Library of Wales

• In 2014 the “Bringing History to Life” project gave an opportunity for over 60 members to learn digitising archive skills and achieve an Agored Cymru, NVQ Level 2. Funding from NVYO made all of this a reality.

• Girlguiding Cymru now has a variety of archive material with the People‘s Collection Wales (Casgliad y Werin), housed on the National Library of Wales website.

• In 2016, we enjoyed working with the National Library’s exhibition team to create the “Pushing Boundaries Exhibition” in Aberystwyth, giving visitors a taste of 100 years of Guiding in Wales.

Locly iBeacons

• In 2016 new skills were taken on board, when a group developed the use of iBeacons at Broneirion, providing information on the main rooms in the building.  At the exhibition the Locly app provided additional information linked to displays.

• A ‘Heritage Young Roots’ project became a focus in 2017, when six Peer Educators, who had previously gained the NVQ in digitising, worked with girls in their units across Wales on bespoke archive projects of interest. We were all impressed by the Guides and Brownies when they presented their discoveries at a “Young Roots Conference” at Broneirion.

As we look forward, caring for the ever-growing Girlguiding Cymru archive and ensuring it is digitised, will be an ongoing tasks. We are looking at ways of sharing with our members the many interesting items in the archive, and encouraging your involvement in various ways.
Do you have any ideas that might help us to do this? You may like to join the archive team? We would love to hear from you!

Wales archive team

Mair Watts

Eirlys Herbert

Helena Thomas

Pat Jones

June Jones

Viv Craig

Contact us at: archivists@girlguidingcymru.org.uk or waleshq@girlguidingcymru.org.uk     

Girlguiding Cymru Archive Gallery