“Reading Hydro shows what a community initiative can achieve in the generation of electricity from renewables. Without a conscious effort to archive this work, it was at risk of being lost to time, and with it, opportunities for learning.”
Liz Bartram, Director of The Mills Archive Trust
The Mills Archive Trust supported Reading Hydro Community Benefit Society (CBS) to create the Reading Hydro archive and secure the future of their records.
The Domesday book of 1086 refers to a watermill in Reading, illustrating how central waterpower is to the town’s history. The Mills Archive Trust charity has an accredited archive that preserves and protects the records of milling history in Reading, as well as historical developments in wind and waterpower.
This slice of local history is a great springboard from which to engage audiences with the global issues of sustainability and climate change. Reading Hydro, a local not-for-profit enterprise set up to generate low-carbon electricity, plays a key role in generating renewable energy for the local community.
In 2021, it commissioned a 46kW hydroelectric plant near the site of a former watermill. By combining a centuries-old turbine design called the Archimedes screw with modern generators and control systems, the plant has exported nearly one million kilowatt-hours of electricity to date – enough to drive nearly 160 times round the world in an electric car!
More than 150 volunteers contributed to the design, fundraising and construction of the plant, and an associated fish-pass. Over 50 volunteers now operate the plant and run the CBS, including an education programme.
The risk of losing records was significant due to the high number of volunteers holding the many documents, videos, photos, and banners that had been created. They also lacked a centralised records management system or physical space to appropriately store these items. Reading Hydro were therefore delighted to partner with The Mills Archive Trust for the National Lottery Heritage Fund supported project, Reading emPOWERed, which would secure these important records for the future.
The Mills Archive Trust supported Reading Hydro to establish an effective and sustainable system for depositing and keeping both physical and electronic records. Materials held by one of the enterprise’s founder directors has been deposited with the Trust and volunteers from the enterprise have been trained to catalogue these under the supervision of the Trust’s archivist.
Meanwhile, The Mills Archive Trust are able to draw expertise from those involved at Reading Hydro to gain further insights into their pre-existing collections. They have forged connections with other specialists in the field of renewable energy generation and received recommendations for other potential collections which could enrich their existing collection.
Working with Reading Hydro, they have developed the skills of their staff and improved their capacity to advocate for archives. They have also raised their profile among the local community, fulfilling a key strategic ambition for their Trust.
This partnership continues to flourish, enabling current and future volunteers to contribute materials and build a living archive.