Being a HERO!

Well here it is, my first blog post! I’ve been here 9 months now, and the time has really flown by. Moving to Wales from rural Berkshire to be the GGAT Historic Environment Record Officer (or HERO, as I like to think of it…*ahem*) in Swansea was very exciting, new and daunting all at the same time!  I was very fortunate to initially stay within the Brecon Beacons National Park, so I got to spend my first couple of months whiling away my hour-long commute by either marvelling at the wonderful scenery (when the weather was good!) or worrying that I was about to drive off the edge of a precipice (when the weather was bad!). I am now happily ensconced a little closer to the Trust offices, and feeling very much at home - I’ve even started learning Welsh, and am determined to perfect my own Welsh cake recipe…despite all attempts to date being slightly disastrous! 

The first project I worked on was Access to Archaeology, and it’s been a really interesting way to gain a better understanding of the work that gets carried out in the Glamorgan-Gwent area, and the wealth of archaeological sites that are now right on my doorstep – since moving here, I have made more than a few weekend trips out to different local areas, just on the strength of information I’ve come across at work. The volunteers we’ve had on the project this year have all been brilliant, and through their hard work we were able to reach our target for the fourth year of the project, despite starting later in the year than usual (due to me not arriving until mid-July!). So a big thankyou to them for their contributions!

Year 5 of the project is just about to kick off, and while some of our volunteers from previous years are carrying on, we also have spaces for some shiny new volunteers! If you would like to be involved, please get in touch via her@ggat.org.uk, or download the application forms on the right hand side of this page, and I look forward to meeting you soon!

Emma's Placement with A2A

Hi! I'm Emma and I'm a Cardiff University BA Archaeology undergrad. I volunteered at GGAT in July 2015 for my 4 week summer placement as part of my degree. It was great fun! I had chance to experience various different aspects of archaeology and really enjoyed getting to know the team.
I spent 8 days in total in the HER department working on the Access to Archaeology project with Calli and Charina (who both deserve a big thumbs up for being very patient with me and teaching me the ropes!) At first the HER database seemed very daunting, however, with their perseverance and kindness I felt confident to give it my best try! It was interesting to have a glimpse of some of the various archaeological discoveries found in the Glamorgan-Gwent region.
The staff at GGAT have been great and the experience and skills I have gained is something I will be forever grateful for! If you are considering volunteering for the A2A project, I encourage you to do so. I can guarantee you'll enjoy it and gain lots of valuable experience at the same time.

Volunteering for Access to Archaeology

This was my second year taking part in GGAT's Access to Archaelogy project. After several months away I felt wary about returning to the project. How much would I remember? What if I needed to ask about basic things I could of helped other volunteers with myself just a few months ago?

Fortunately my fears were unfounded. After a quick run through, I picked up things again pretty quickly. This was largely thanks to Leonora and Charina, who are both very welcoming and easy to talk to. If you have any questions they are both easy to approach and there is never any embarrassment caused by asking the same question twice.

Taking part in the project gave me the opportunity to add new skills to my CV including experience with Geographic Information Systems (i.e. MapInfo, Cartographic assessment). I would highly recommend the project to anyone looking to learn new skills to increase their career prospects.

Richard Thomas

Access to Archaeology 2015

Hello everybody, the Access to Archaeology Project is back, and there is a new member of the team!
Calli Rouse joined us in July as HER Officer and she will be working closely with all our volunteers on the project.

A Sad Farewell

Friday saw us wave a tearful goodbye to Leonora Goldsmith as she starts her new job as HER Manager at North Yorkshire Council. 

Leonora began working for the Trust in 2008, as a Field Archaeologist, before specialising in the undertaking of desk-based assessments, project designs, written schemes of investigations, building recording surveys and excavation/post-excavation. In 2013 Leonora undertook the role of Acting Historic Environment Records Manager to cover maternity leave. In addition to his she also ran the Access to Archaeology Community program, training volunteers in the use of HER software, to enhance the HER with information from grey literature reports. Both roles Leonora excelled in! 

Everyone at the Trust and all the A2A volunteers wish you every success in your new job The HER will not be the same without you and your bubbly personality and cheerful good humor.

Welcome to the Team, John!

We welcome the most recent addition to our lovely Access to Archaeology volunteer team, John (handbag not included!).

Here he is,  getting stuck in and learning about how we incorporate the different reports we receive into the Historic Environment Record.

Overwhelming demand for project participation

Thank you so much for all the support we have received so far this year.  We have 3 new volunteers starting with us on Thursdays and we look forward to working with them.  Unfortunately all spaces for the project are now full until the end of March.  However, we are keeping a waiting list for anyone wishing to take part from April onwards.