Present: Cllr. George Cooper, Mrs Eileen Bowlt and Mr Tony Mitchell.

Apologies: Prof Steve Hodkinson, Mr Charles Crawford, Mrs Eileen Smyth, Mr David Varley and Ms Paula Palk.

In attendance: Ms Helen Betteridge, Mrs Carolynne Cotton, Mr Paul Davidson, Ms Kate Lewis, Mr Fen Oswin and Ms Clara Pereira

1. Welcome and Introduction
The Chair welcomed everyone to the fourth meeting of the Steering Group and invited all attendees to introduce themselves for the benefit of Ms Clara Pereira, the new Hillingdon Museum Curator.

Mrs Eileen Smyth, a senior manager with Hillingdon Borough Council Library Services, was replacing Mrs Trisha Grimshaw on the Steering Group.
A Connecting Communities representative was required on the Steering Group (CC to action).

Minutes of the meeting of 15 March 2006 were approved.

2. Project Update
Reports were presented as handouts to representatives.

2.1 Hillingdon
The Project Manager (Uxbridge) reported that progress was being made on the cataloguing, which was speeding up as familiarity with the software was gained. It would be unlikely that cataloguing would be completed within the timescales allocated, about which the HLF was aware but had yet to respond. Main collections were being identified and cataloguing was taking place to file level rather than item level in order to advance further. Training volunteers in photographic cataloguing would assist with moving the project forward.

2.2 Photographic collections, Hillingdon
The Digital Technician presented a positive report on numbers of photographs scanned, edited and restored per area in the Borough.

2.3 Brunel University/BFSS
The Assistant Archivist presented a report on the Project, which included visitors to the newly-opened Reading Room; an article for the University and Project website; an Annual Report for the Archive & Records Centre presented to Brunel University Information Strategy Group (who gave an encouraging response); the transfer of all remaining paintings and plaques from the Osterley Campus; the attending of a Borough Road and Maria Grey alumni reunion; sorting of the Maria Grey collection; BFSS cataloguing; and Shoreditch listing onto paper.

2.4 Project Plan
The Project Manager (Uxbridge) presented a project chart. The Digital Technician was to photograph the museum objects with the aid of the Museum Curator

3. Website Update
The Project Manager (Uxbridge) reported concern about the poor attendance of teaching representatives, with the aim of setting up a Working Party to look at the educational content of the website being delayed as a consequence. The Museum Curator was a former teacher and outreach worker - good news for the Project.

The publicity website had almost been completed (content included information about the Project, news, heritage links, collection information, minutes of meetings - designed to raise awareness of the Project) and a launch would take place shortly, with local heritage societies being specifically informed.

In order to get links on other websites to the Project site, written requests should be made to website managers. The Project website would aim to become a heritage hub.

The domain name for the website would be heritagebuildsbridges.org.uk.

4. Educational content of website: formation of a Working Party
The educational content of the website would be geared towards school requirements and adult learners. Without teaching representatives present, it would be difficult to progress. The Museum Curator was still learning about the collections so could not comment specifically but recommended that a focus be made on links with the National Curriculum, targeting Key Stage 2 & 3 learners. Ms Paula Paulk, Mr Anthony Palmer, Mrs Eileen Bowlt (adult learners), the Museum Curator, a representative from Hillingdon Local Studies and a representative from Brunel University/BFSS would be members of an educational content Working Party (CC to contact Ms Paulk and Mr Palmer, and to set up a meeting date).

The aim of the website would be to demonstrate the material available and inspire learners to visit the actual collections. Inset courses would be run for teachers to demonstrate how to use objects and archives in teaching. The website would not be a replacement for access to material, and the loan box scheme would still be in place.

5. Any other business

5.1 Problems with logo design at Hillingdon, and Brunel University and BFSS logo colours, meant that finalising a design for a letterhead had been delayed. As print costs increased with number of colours, the Group agreed that logos would be in black and white at the bottom of a page, unless the Project Partners Corporate Design departments did not approve. If not approved, only the HBB and HLF logos would be used.

5.2 The Project Manager (Uxbridge) reported that a new volunteer was working on Saturday mornings. Mr Tony Mitchell requested that volunteers be given a tour of the collections (CC to set up a volunteer day in early autumn).

5.3 The Project Manager (Uxbridge) announced that Prof Steve Hodkinson was retiring in July.

5.4 A tour of the Brunel University Archive & Records Centre was then given.

Next Meeting

20 September 2006, 2-4 pm, Brunel University Uxbridge Campus