Jane Golding

On 27th June 2007 I attended Shared Community Memories – a one-day conference at University College London for all involved in community archives. This was the first conference of the Community Archives Development Group (CADG) and I quickly realised that I wanted to join the steering committee and be part of this new and exciting organisation. From 2009 (the year that CADG became CAHG) I served as Secretary for a term of 3 years, and was elected Chair in 2018, standing down in 2021.

My academic background is in landscape history, combining field archaeology with archival research. My working life started out with Oxfordshire Local Studies before moving to Historic England and a varied career that has encompassed teaching, exhibition management, and community programmes that have provided wonderful opportunities to work with groups across many areas of England. A personal outcome of this experience is a strong conviction in the power of community archives as connective tissue to inspire, enrich, enlighten, transform and unite.

Currently I am responsible for Historic England’s strategic development support to Local Authority Historic Environment Records, and I am also working towards Associateship of the Museums Association.