Collections

Our collection is made up of many types of material including the following:

Headquarters files

• Minute books
• Internal policy documents (1938 onwards)
• Correspondence relating to various services (1938 onwards) 
• Correspondence with government, other charities and organisations
• Reports and correspondence with regional and county offices (1938 to 1990s)

Narrative Reports

• Detailed monthly reports on the activities of WVS and WRVS centres throughout Great Britain (1938-1993)

Statistical returns

• Set of detailed statistical returns for all regions of WVS (1939-1945)
• Statistics for post war period to present

• Correspondence and diaries
• Day books (detailed logs of individual centres hourly activities)
• Minute books
• Accounts
• Newspaper cuttings and scrap books

Personal deposits

• Materials deposited by individuals and relatives, some containing detailed descriptions of their work with WVS or WRVS as well as photographs and other related material

Books, articles and dissertations

• Books written about WVS and/or WRVS
• Books featuring articles about WVS and/or WRVS
• Academic journal articles
• Undergraduate and graduate dissertations

Newspaper cuttings

• At both national and local level

Photographs

• Loose photographs organised by subject (1938 to present)
• Albums relating to specific services or WVS and WRVS centres (1938 to present)

Posters

• Publicity and recruitment posters (mainly from the 1950s to 1980s)

WVS and WRVS Bulletin/Magazine

• A full series from November 1939 to present

Audio-visual

• 16mm film reel, training films (1950s and 1960s)
• Reel-to-reel, cassette tapes, LP records. Lady Reading's speeches to the BBC (1940s to 1960s)
• Fairchild projector tapes, 1980s training aids
• VHS videos, training, publicity, WRVS features (1980s and 1990s)

Uniforms and badges

• Uniforms including hats, coats, scarves, shoes, handbags, dresses, skirts, jackets, blouses, tabards and overalls (1938 to present)
• Badges and insignia, cloth and metal (1938 to present)

Memorabilia and other artefacts

• Emergency feeding equipment
• Models and training aids
• Helmets and gas masks
• Ceremonial robes
• Gifts and presents
• Commemorative and everyday china
• Flags, banners and other textiles

Records of other related organisations

• WVS India
• WVS/WRVS Trust
• WRVS Association
• WRVS Benevolent Trust

And much more…