News

# Fresh chapter as archives gain accredited status

Six contrasting archives from different parts of Britain have won accredited
status for the first time. They range from records about one of the grandest
religious buildings in England, York Minster, to the local history of Hackney
Borough, whose earliest document dates from 1356.

Published 25 November 2025

Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum archives, which charts exciting
developments in sound and media technology, also earned accredited status, along
with the Marx Memorial Library which holds archival collections on the Spanish
Civil War and the history of trade unions and campaign groups.

Also newly accredited, The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art holds
both collected and institutional archives, with the former chronicling research
into British art and architecture from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.

Powys Archives, which tells the story of the ancient Welsh kingdom of Powys from
medieval times to the present day, also won coveted accredited status.

By attaining accreditation, archive services demonstrate that they meet the UK
standard for managing archive collections and providing access to them, showing
resilience and an ability to manage changing circumstances successfully. The
awards are made by the UK Archive Service Accreditation Committee.

> We are so happy that our consistent work to become a proactive, resilient, and
> collaborative archive service has been acknowledged.

Etienne Joseph, Archives Manager, Hackney Archives

> We care for remarkable archival collections that are valuable for researchers
> and for our visitors. We are proud to have achieved the accreditation standard.

Charlotte Connelly, Head Curator, The National Science and Media Museum

All accredited archive services must apply six years after their initial award
to retain their accredited status. The following archive services had their
accreditation granted for a second time:

* Historic England Archive
* Historic Environment Scotland Archive
* National Library of Scotland
* Suffolk Archives
* Tameside Archives

## [Archive Service Accreditation](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/archive-service-accreditation/)

Find out more about Archive Service Accreditation and read the full list of
accredited archive services.

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