FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE SOCIETY

 

Professor Mick Aston, a new member of the SANHS Board of Trustees, has recently put together his first thoughts on the Society’s future in what he calls ‘a very rough document’.  His paper (attached at Annex) was considered by the Board in July and subsequently ‘brainstormed’ with Mick by a small group of Trustees and Committee chairs led by the Hon Treasurer. 

The list of bullet points below summarises many of the ideas which came from that brainstorm.  In discussion of this paper on 15 September, Advisory Council members are invited to add their own comments and ideas on the future direction of the Society.  The outcome of this meeting will then be used to help draw up a long awaited Strategic Plan for the Society, containing clear objectives against which performance can be measured.

Encouraging membership

• Be clear on what membership offers
• Young Archaeologists Club (SANHS Branch)
• Young SANHS
• Extra mural courses
• Incomers and U3A
• Target working professionals, eg teachers
• Provide a mix of regular publications
• £10 membership without Proceedings

Working more efficiently and effectively

• Partnerships and co-operation with like minded groups to mutual advantage
• Combine Arch, LH, HB and NH into one ‘Field Studies’ committee
• Active role for subject committees in delivering SANHS objectives
• Less complex central structure

Coverage of the historic county

• Better coverage of eg W.Somerset
• Links to all parts of county through regional or area representatives
• Associated Society networks
• Provide central, informed hub for groups across the county

Embracing the future

• Impact of digitisation
• ‘U-Tube’ lectures
• E-newsletters and publications

Bringing everyone together

• Social events
• Multi disciplinary approach
• Meetings of Committee chairs to programme events of shared interest
• Workshops with practical training and instruction
• Hands on field projects
• Annual introductions to all collections with tours of SHC and museum items

Major Projects over next 5 years

• ‘SANHS Trails’ related to items in the collections with Booklets/Web guides
• Wyndham Hall
• Fundraising and HLF applications to support major projects

Guiding principles

• Complement not compete with Heritage Services
• Reality check on availability of resources, project leaders and volunteers
• Simple structure of governance

George Middleton

Hon Secretary