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
Local and regional office records
- 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…