The Marsh Community Archaeology Awards

The Foundation

The Marsh Charitable Trust was founded in 1981 with the sum of £75,000 by its current Chairman, Mr Brian Marsh OBE. His aim was to create a sustainable way to give something back to society, by supporting the organisations and people who are making a difference, as best he could.

From the outset the Trust has aimed to create long-standing relationships with the organisations it supports and partners through both its principal areas of work; the Grants Programme and the Awards Scheme.

The Trust supports around 350 charities every year through the Grants Programme and gives around 80 different Awards to individuals and groups from across the charity sector, who make a difference to a cause that they believe in.

Small Pits, Big Ideas encouraged local residents across 6 sites in Worcestershire to open up their gardens and participate in unearthing the past. Supported by experienced archaeologists, mentors, students and local archaeology groups, over 400 people took part in digging test pits and processing the finds.

A partnership between Worcestershire Archaeological Society, Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service, Green Fingers Project, Badsey Society, Bewdley Historical Research Group, North Worcestershire Archaeology Group and Wichenford Local Heritage Group. With funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Digging Harlaxton was a month-long field school with a commitment to being a truly inclusive programme. Developed by Harlaxton College in 2022 and involving participants from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, it focused on developing and enhancing the methodological and practical field skills of participants through excavation of Harlaxton Manor while being actively tailored to accommodate any range of physical requirements and support mental health needs.

Since 2019 Wings to the Past CIC has supported over 60 RAF personnel and their families gain personal resilience through archaeology. Following an initial 10-day excavation and post-excavation exhibition, the project returned post-Covid supported by Dr Derwin Gregory, Head of Archaeology at Bishop Grosseteste University, to carry out a 2-day field walking project on a multi-period site near RAF Waddington. It is planned that this activity will be repeated for another group later in the year when it is hoped the wider community will be able to mix with the Service personnel.

Rosie is a Young Leader at two Young Archaeologists’ Club branches and is a passionate and active community archaeologist with 9 years of fieldwork experience, despite being 17.

She is always happy to talk about her experiences and encourages other young people to get involved in archaeology.

Tilly is a budding archaeologist who loves history! In her spare time she spends hours digging away at the beach or strolling through museums learning everything she can.

Her passion is contagious, and she has gotten several friends, her classmates and her family into the subject.

The Kelsae Archaeology Project was co-created and delivered by young people from Kelso High which saw them record and research historic buildings in Kelso town centre using clay to create a blueprint of the town with the local buildings they had investigated on it. The project allowed the young people to build links with their community, engage with a range of community groups, showcase what they had achieved and celebrate their success.

The Kelsae Archaeology Project was a collaboration between young people and staff at Kelso High School, Archaeology Scotland’s Learning Team, the Community Learning and Development Service at Scottish Borders Council and QME Care, with additional support from a number of local heritage and community groups.

Co. Fermanagh’s Vernacular Heritage was a 3-month youth engagement project by Lough Erne Landscape Partnership (LELP) to involve school children in their local built heritage and social history by interviewing the oldest person they know about their life in the early- to mid-20th century and presenting their findings at intergenerational events.

Funding from the Historic Environment Fund (Department for Communities Northern Ireland).