Led by NLC’s Museums & Heritage staff and supported by local history societies from all over North Lanarkshire, the project focuses on the creation of a suitable storage environment for the historic records of North Lanarkshire as well as creating a new learning space for heritage events and activities.

The project will see the relocation of the North Lanarkshire Council archives service from Cumbernauld to Motherwell. The new and refreshed facility, expected to open in April 2012, will include a combined Archives and Local History search room, a new records repository for the Council’s collections, a community learning space and a refurbished gallery and exhibition space.

The well-equipped and inviting community learning space and a programme of community learning events and activities will help to introduce new user groups to the facility, help new and established users to make the most of our varied collections, and train community heritage groups in looking after their own collections.

Commenting on the award, Councillor Jim Logue, Learning and Leisure Convenor, said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and are confident that the new archives, local history and learning facility will transform access to our heritage. I’m delighted that North Lanarkshire’s vibrant and diverse archives, which reach back more than 500 years, will have a new home to serve this and future generations of students, family-history researchers and historians.”

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “North Lanarkshire Council’s archive is bursting with stories and pictures that give us clues about what life was like and how that has shaped us into what we are today. This is a fantastic project that will help communities to explore those stories and take pride in their local heritage.”

If you would like to know more about the project, or to find out more about how you can access archives and local studies in North Lanarkshire contact: Alison Mason, Records Manager at North Lanarkshire Council Archives and Records Centre, on 01236 638 980

Notes to editors

About North Lanarkshire Council
Based in the heart of Scotland, North Lanarkshire has a population of around 326,360 and covers one of the largest local council areas in the country.
The central location, excellent transport links and natural scenic beauty ensure that the area is popular, both as an ideal location to set up home or business, or as a centre for the casual visitor or touring holidaymaker.
The Council’s Museums and Heritage Service looks after and promotes the cultural heritage of the area through its museums, archives and local studies collections.
The service’s prime responsibility is to safeguard the heritage of North Lanarkshire for future generations and it aims to educate and stimulate both the local community and visitors through the creative use of the collections and facilities.
North Lanarkshire Council Archives collects, preserves and makes available to the public the historic records of North Lanarkshire which date from 1530 onwards.

Further information
 
Images and interviews, please contact
Alison Mason, Records Manager
masonali@northlan.gov.uk
01236 638 978