Presentation given by Steve Capes, Cambridgeshire Community Archives Network, at "Building a Heritage Network" conference in Stornoway, 29 October 2013

1. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
Communities working
together to sustain a unique
digital archive
Steve Capes
Cambridgeshire County Council

2. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
What is CCAN?
• A sustainable network of 32 community groups
across Cambridgeshire, working together to
develop and sustain a digital record of community
history for the County on www.ccan.co.uk
• Although CCAN has been run by its volunteers
since mid 2008 (and funded through its volunteer
members), Cambridgeshire County Council
maintains links and injects extra funding when
possible
• As a network working with web provider
Community Sites, CCAN is part of a strong national
network of community archives

3. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
Background and
Beginnings
• Cambridgeshire Community Archives Network
was created with 2 HLF grants between 2005 and
2008
• Original aim was to add community relevance to
an existing network of Community Access Points in
Post Offices, pubs, church and community halls etc
• Second aim was to encourage the formation of
community groups who would form a cohesive
network, helping each other and working together
• Third aim was to encourage learning around both
digital technology and local heritage

4. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
Your Heritage Project 2005
• Your Heritage bid (up to £50k) submitted mid
2004
• Grant agreed to fund ‘pilot’ for proposed county
project to follow a successful pilot
• Project plan tested at 7 sites between March and
September 05
• 1 Community Archive Officer (& part-time
support) 1 day/week per Group over 6 months essential
• Funding for artist/schools work and exhibition

5. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
Heritage Grant Project
• Success of ‘pilot’ project drove submission
of Heritage bid (£300k) in September 2005
• Delivery of 4 Phases Aug 06 – July 08
• Primary aims:
• Develop community archive groups at 40
Community Access Points (incl. 8
Museums)
• Upload digital, cross-searchable
community archive collections to website
• Create links between communities and
professional services

6. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
Building the Network
• Creation of customised website
www.ccan.co.uk to host collections (original
site now archived following migration to much
improved system at end of 2012).
• 2 Community Archive Officers and 1 Archives
Liaison Officer were essential to support the
development of local archive groups
• To ‘bring community archives to life’ the
original project funded art workshops in schools
and also a number of public exhibitions

7. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
Community Archive Groups
• In the original network 40 groups were created
across Cambridgeshire – a wide range of sites,
mainly geographical in nature (villages and
towns), but also organisations such as:
•
•
•
•
Addenbrooke’s Hospital
MIND (mental health charity)
Robert Sayle (now John Lewis store)
Romany Theatre Company
• Migration to improved site has encouraged
lapsed groups back to network, plus the
addition of new groups – current strength 32
groups
• Groups designed to be self-governing and

8. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
Community Benefits
• Encouragement of social activity within a
community and across communities, the ‘network
effect’ – improving social links countywide
• Adding to community sense of place and sense
of past – enhancing community involvement,
knowledge and enjoyment of local heritage
• Preserving an easily lost local heritage resource
in an accessible and sustainable format
• Helping group members use existing skills and
try new learning

9. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
How does CCAN work?
• Network sustains itself via payments from groups
(currently £100 per year per group for webhosting and
technical support – ‘network price’ from supplier for a
limited function service)
• Webhosting and technical support provided by
Community Sites ( who offer a higher cost ‘full function’
service to some groups – see Meldreth and Orwell on
www.ccan.co.uk)
• Cambridgeshire County Council oversee payments and
admin and provide extra funding where possible, staff
member non-exec on Committee
• Network run by its volunteers via Steering Committee
and annual AGM

10. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
A network supporting itself
• As a network CCAN can demonstrate successful
‘self-support’ examples across groups:
– Steering Committee – members from a
number of groups, meets quarterly
– AGM or ‘Forum’ of all groups annually
– Technical Support – two members from
different groups who offer a helpline to
members with problems and also training
sessions to new and existing groups
– support to new groups from existing groups
– exhibitions – our groups have delivered
joint exhibitions and events

11. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
Network challenges
• Not everything has been successful!
– some groups fail, due to lack of members,
problems with funding, dislike of software
(although only examples pre-migration)
– support from existing groups to new groups
doesn’t succeed despite effort – e.g. Stilton
– failure to incorporate Norfolk network,
despite support from 2 CCAN Committee
members
– hard to incorporate ‘project’ groups, as falloff of activity once funding ends

12. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
The future
• CCAN
is now financially secure with new web provider
and is attracting new groups
– 32 groups (with potential for more) is strong
basis for development with web provider
– new committee member (from a new group) keen
to develop ‘new business’, working with new
communities to generate interest
– addition of www.great-war.ccan.co.uk pages to
support WW1 Centenary has generated new
content
– volunteer committee producing Newsletter to
promote a ‘network identity’ for CCAN

13. Cambridgeshire Community
Archives Network
Any further queries please contact
Steve Capes on 01223 713507 or
by email at
steve.capes@cambridgeshire.gov.u
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