The Steering Group
The Expert Panel
The Management Team
Steering Group
The Archives Revealed programme is led by a Steering Group with responsibility for the governance of the programme and its strategic direction. Its members are:
Sue Bowers – Director of the Pilgrim Trust
Sue joined the Pilgrim Trust in 2020 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, where she was most recently Director of Investment and Head of The National Heritage Memorial Fund. She has worked in the heritage and grant giving sectors throughout her career. Starting at the Museums and Galleries Commission, she then worked in local government before joining the Heritage Lottery Fund in 1994. Sue has a MA in Museum and Gallery Management, is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, and sits on the Grants Panel of the Football Foundation. Sue chaired the Archives Revealed Panel 2020 to 2023.
Paul Ramsbottom OBE – Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation
(Photo credit: John Cairns)
Paul Ramsbottom is Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, a charity which funds widely across research and education in the UK. Paul takes a wider interest in issues relating to philanthropy in the UK as a speaker and writer. He has undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in History from the University of Oxford.
Outside of philanthropy, he has an interest in international development which includes founding the Savannah Education Trust – a charity which works in West Africa – and sitting on the Board of Mercy Ships UK. He acts as a judge for the World’s Best School Prizes. His hometown university, the University of Bedfordshire, awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2013. In January 2020 he was awarded an OBE for services to charity.
Alistair Brown – Head of Museums, Libraries and Archives Policy at The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Alistair Brown leads the Heritage Fund’s policy on archives, museums and libraries and across the UK, and has supported the Fund’s delivery of a wide range of projects in the sector, including the Fund’s recent Dynamic Collections campaign. Prior to working at the Heritage Fund, Alistair was the Policy Manager for the Museums Association where he led on a range of policy initiatives including the review of the Code of Ethics for Museums, the delivery of the Museums Change Lives campaign, and a series of successful sector advocacy campaigns. He has also previously worked in cultural and regional policy roles for the Scottish Government and the European Commission.
Saul Nassé – Chief Executive and Keeper of The National Archives
As Keeper of Public Records, Saul is responsible for overseeing the integrity of the public records system of England, Wales and the United Kingdom. Saul leads a team of over 500 people, providing strategic vision for the organisation as it carries out its vital role as guardian of over 1,000 years of iconic national documents.
Saul has had an extensive career in education and media, having previously served as Group Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment, the University’s examinations business, and as Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment English. Prior to that, he was Controller of BBC Learning, running the department that commissioned and produced educational content including BBC Bitesize, Stargazing Live and BBC Food. During his time at the BBC, Saul oversaw the Domesday Reloaded project – inspired by one of our most famous documents – which brought online a vast multimedia archive from 1986, contributed by over a million members of the public.
Saul studied Natural Sciences at Robinson College, University of Cambridge and was a Fellow there from 2019 to 2024. He began his career at Cranfield University, before joining the BBC Science Department. In 1997, he became Editor of prime-time science show Tomorrow’s World, before moving on to be acting Head of Religion & Ethics and later General Manager of BBC Worldwide Productions in Mumbai, where he was responsible for the Indian version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Susan Corrigall – Head of Records and Archives Engagement at National Records of Scotland – Home Nations Representative
Expert Panel – Cataloguing and Consortium Grants
Applications to the Cataloguing and Consortium programmes are reviewed by an independent Expert Panel.
Dr Valerie Johnson – Chair
From 2015 – 2023, Valerie was Director of Research and Collections at The National Archives (TNA), having been promoted from her post as Head of Research at the same institution. Prior to that she worked on a history project based at the University of Cambridge, and has experience of the academic, corporate and public sectors.
As Director of Research, she was responsible for the research undertaken at TNA, and also held responsibility for the Archive Sector Development brief within her portfolio, delivering TNA’s archive sector leadership alongside the Chief Executive. Valerie has a professional qualification in archives, namely an MA in Archives Administration, for which she was awarded a Distinction, as well as the Alexander Myers Prize. A Registered Member of the Archives and Records Association since qualifying, she also has a PhD in History, for which she was also awarded the 2008 Coleman Prize. She is an elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Society of Antiquaries.
Since 2023, she has held a role as Strategic Advisor to TNA, as well as working freelance as an independent consultant.
Larysa Bolton – Archives Consultant
Larysa is an archivist who has worked for a wide range of archive services, including businesses, universities and local authorities. She was Local Studies and Archives Manager at Tameside Local Studies and Archives (2007-2016) and Service Delivery Specialist – Archives & Heritage (2016-2022) at Manchester Central Library. In 2022-2023, she was the Project Cataloguer on the Archives Revealed-funded Ukrainian Video Archive Society project at the Yorkshire Film Archive. Since 2023, she has been a Director at Kazky, a consultancy in Stockport specialising in archives, libraries, and heritage. She is Vice-Chair of the Association of Ukrainian Women in Great Britain and lead curator for the Alla Horska Museum of Folk Art. She is passionate about community archives, diaspora histories, and working respectfully & ethically with communities.
Kevin Roberts – Archivist, Cambridge University Library
Kevin has worked in the archives since 2009 for local government, third sector and higher education institutions. He is currently curator of religious and estate collections in the Department of Archives and Modern Manuscripts where he administers a portfolio that includes The Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, The Diocese and Dean and Chapter of Ely, estate archives from Norfolk and Suffolk and the Society for Psychical Research. Kevin has a professional interest in records management, archival appraisal, copyright and data protection questions. Before joining Cambridge University Library he served as Archivist and Records Officer at the British Antarctic Survey.
Simon Wilson – Archives Consultant
With a long career in the heritage and wider public sector, Simon understands the benefits and associated impact of grant funded projects on collections-based organisations. Simon currently works as a freelance consultant for the heritage sector. His commissions include implementing digital asset management systems, research into offensive terminology in published archive catalogues and assisting organisations in their first steps towards digital preservation. His specialist interest in the relationship between technology and archives covers digitisation, collections management, cataloguing, born-digital archives and digital preservation. Simon has been a registered member of the Archives and Records Association since 1998, he was an early ‘Supporter of the Digital Preservation Coalition, 2023’ and is trained in Carbon Literacy.
Mike Morris – Co-Director, Writing on the Wall
https://writingonthewall.org.uk/
Mike has a background in community activity, filmmaking and writing for theatre. As a founding member of Writing on the Wall (WoW), Mike has led on the curation and delivery of 25 annual festivals, as well as countless projects and events. He created WoW’s acclaimed Pulp Idol novel writing competition, is responsible for the editing and publishing of WoW’s annual ‘Pulp Idol – Firsts’ (a book of the finalists’ First Chapters) and leads on WoW’s publishing strategy. He was the chairperson and strategic lead for Liverpool City Council’s Year of writing (2020-21) and is a member of The Poverty Research Action Network (PRAN) and The Liverpool City Region (LCR) Community Asset Holding Company Reference Group. Mike created and directed the George Garrett Archive Project, and produced, edited and contributed to the foreword of Garrett’s autobiography published in partnership with Liverpool University Press. Alongside Madeline Heneghan, Mike created and directs WoW’s pioneering Creative Heritage programme. He also works with Co-Director Madeline Heneghan overseeing WoW’s organisational development and long-term strategy.
Alison Stevenson – Director for Collections, Access and Research, National Library of Scotland
Home | National Library of Scotland (nls.uk)
As Director of Collections, Access and Research, Alison leads the teams responsible for building the National Library of Scotland’s extensive archive collections which illuminate the stories of Scots men and women across centuries, at home and abroad. Alison’s remit includes management of the Edinburgh reading rooms, the Glasgow access centre, curatorial expertise across all formats and time periods, reader services, research support, and specialist moving image and sound preservation. Before joining the National Library of Scotland, she worked for Glasgow School of Art and Te Herenga Waka (Victoria University of Wellington).
Kate Jarman – Trust Archivist, Barts Health NHS Trust
Kate is a Registered archivist, with over 15 years’ experience within the archives sector. As service lead for Barts Health NHS Trust Archives, she has worked for over ten years to widen access to large mixed collections spanning nine centuries. Kate project managed and physically prepared collections for the move of over 27,000 archive records and objects to external storage in summer 2020, then managed the subsequent project to design and fit out a new archive which opened in February 2022. Kate has successfully applied for over £385,000 in external grants from a range of funding bodies and subsequently managed these projects over her career. Kate has research interests in the ethics of access to medical and other sensitive collections and is currently co-supervisor for a Collaborative Doctoral Award student working with medical records from the Trust collections.
Laura Cotton – Glamorgan Archivist (Head of Service), Glamorgan Archives
Home – Glamorgan Archives (glamarchives.gov.uk)
Melanie Lenz – Digital Art Curator, Victoria and Albert Museum
Melanie is responsible for developing the V&A’s digital art collections and works closely with the museum’s computer art archive. She has organised multiple exhibitions, most recently co-curating Patric Prince: Digital Art Visionary (2023-2024). She co-edited the book Digital Art: 1960 to Now (2024) and has published on diverse topics including generative art (2024), early computer art in Latin America (2018), gender, art and technology (2014) and collecting and conserving digital art (2011). Leading on a range of public programmes, Melanie has developed a digital art season, convened conferences on art, design and new technologies for health and has initiated art partnerships with a variety of organisations including Women Who Code and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Melanie also holds an MA in Museum Studies and works as a freelance curator. She is a judge for the Lumen Prize for Art and Technology and has broadcast about digital art and archives on Resonance FM, Radio 4 and BBC 2.
Expert Panel – Scoping Grants
Applications for Scoping Grants are reviewed by an expert panel from within The National Archives:
Zoe Fullard – Senior Archivist: Digital Development
Amy Sampson – Preventive Conservator
Dan Gosling – Principal Legal Records Specialist
Lucy Razzall – Collections Researcher
James Travers – Cultural Property Manager
Sarah Irwin – Digitisation Enquiries Liaison Officer
Archives Revealed Management Team
The administration of the Archives Revealed programme is managed by a dedicated team at The National Archives. For enquiries about Archives Revealed, please contact us via email at: archivegrants@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Jack Butterworth – Head of Research, Grants and Academic Engagement
Jack is Head of Research, Grants and Academic Engagement at The National Archives, and the project lead for Archives Revealed. He is responsible for The National Archives’ research strategy and its engagement with its academic audiences, the higher education sector and other Independent Research Organisations. He also leads The National Archives’ grant fundraising for research, public engagement, digitisation and capital works programmes, and our funding programmes for the wider archives sector.
He is a research and research management professional, who has worked as the project manager of several large clinical studies in the UK and Africa, and latterly as Department Manager of the Department of Global Health and Development at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, leading professional services for a department of 135 academic staff with over £35 million in total grant funding. He joined The National Archives in 2021 to establish a new Grants and Funding Office, before adding the Research and Academic Engagement teams to his brief in 2023.
Jack has an MA in Music from Trinity College, Cambridge, and away from his desk, still performs regularly as a choral singer and as the organist of All Saints’ Church, Orpington.
Jack.Butterworth@nationalarchives.gov.uk
James Hodgson – Head of Archive Sector Funding
James has led the operations of the Archives Revealed programme for the last three years, including the design and delivery of our strategic funding review in 2022-23. James has over 15 years’ experience working on and managing international projects in the NGO sector, funded by the Government and other multinational institutions, including working in Cambodia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Burundi, the United States of America and Australia.
James.Hodgson@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Deborah Wade-France – Archives Revealed: Programme Manager
Deborah has joined The National Archives in 2024 to support the expansion of the Archives Revealed programme. She previously worked on the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund helping regional museums and records offices to secure some excellent acquisitions. Deborah has taken a circuitous route to TNA, having started her career in Art focused University library services, followed by working in Higher Education quality, regulation, and admin management for well over a decade. An advocate for lifelong learning, Deborah decided to undertake an MA in History of Art and Photography in her spare time, made the leap to the Arts and Heritage sector, and has not looked back.
Deborah.Wade-France@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Jessica Hogg – Archives Revealed: Sector Development Manager
Jess joined the Archives Revealed team following a career in the archives sector. She started at the BBC and has worked in lead roles for archive services in the private sector and Local Authorities, managing teams and working on service development and accreditation.
Holly Staynor – Head of Process and Project Delivery
Holly supports the compliant management and delivery of The National Archives’ grants. She is a qualified project and programme manager with wide experience of grants in a government and charity context, including a £26 million grant scheme within the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. She likes football, gardening and running.
Holly.Staynor@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Isobel Falk, Grants and Funding Officer
Isobel supports the work of our grant teams, working to fund the archive sector as well as win bids to enable innovative internal research. Isobel holds an MPhil in English Literature from Cambridge University.
isobel.falk@nationalarchives.gov.uk
The delivery of Archives Revealed is supported by The National Archives Archive Sector Leadership department, who provide advice and guidance to the sector:
Contact the team – Archives sector (nationalarchives.gov.uk)