Archive and collection policy

The Thamesmead Community Archive collects any materials which relate to the specific history of Thamesmead and are of interest to a broad audience. 

In general, we only collect materials from 1968 onwards when the first residents moved into Thamesmead, or materials which document the building and development of Thamesmead from the mid-1960s. 

We will collect any materials which can be presented digitally. If you have an object, we will aim to photograph it and keep the photograph so you can keep the original object. Unless you decide to donate them to the archive for care and safekeeping.

We do not collect materials which refer to the heritage of the Royal Arsenal in Thamesmead.

You must have permission from the owner of the materials to submit them to the archive. In the case of media, if you took the photograph or video, you are the owner.

Your materials will be scanned, catalogued and then some or all of them will be added to this website. You will keep your original materials. By providing us with your materials you give us permission to use them for future exhibitions, films and publications about Thamesmead’s past.

If you would like to share your memories of Thamesmead with us in an interview so that others may listen to them in the future, we’re happy to come and have a chat or have a phone call/​video conference. We will work with you to get the right edit of the interview, which we will then add to our archive.