The National Union of Mineworkers archives includes sources relating to both the NUM and to earlier district or area organisations. The first five collections have now been catalogued and can be seen at the Modern Records Centre.

We are delighted to announce the transfer to us of the historical records of the McDougall Trust and the Electoral Reform Society (previously the Proportional Representation Society).

'Mining the Past' is a three year project to conserve, catalogue and provide access to the archives of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

The coal industry fuelled Britain's industrial revolution and at its 20th century peak directly employed more than a million people in the UK. The archives of the National Union of Mineworkers and its predecessors date back to the mid 19th century and are key sources for Britain's industrial, social and labour history.

Following preliminary work on the archive by the NUM and the University of Nottingham, the Modern Records Centre was chosen as the long-term home for the NUM archive in 2019, and grants to fund conservation, cataloguing and outreach work were awarded by the Wellcome Institute, Pilgrim Trust and National Manuscripts Conservation Trust in the same year.

In 2022 approximately 900 'bankers' or records management boxes were moved from NUM headquarters and treatment of the collection was begun by a specialist archives conservation company (making sure that the material was dry and free from contaminants). In January 2023 the first batch of conserved archives were received at the Modern Records Centre and in February 2023 we started the long job of cataloguing the huge collection. Over the next three years we look forward to exploring the collection in more detail and collaborating with the NUM to enable wider access to the sources.