Museums And Archives

SWI Heritage Project – Preserving the Past to Inspire the Future

Phase 1 of the Scottish Women's Institutes (SWI) Heritage Project will celebrate SWI’s role in Scotland and that of women in rural communities since 1917. During the two-year project, we will archive and preserve historical artefacts, and collect oral histories, at risk of being lost, telling the often-unheard story rural women. Adhering to key investment principles of saving heritage, and inclusion, the project will establish the SWI heritage collection by working closely with SWI members, National Archives Scotland, The Crichton Trust, experts and academic institutions, and engaging the wider community. The project ensures the accessibility of the collection as it will be digitised and, on project completion, housed in a planned Visitor Learning Centre on The Crichton Estate, Dumfries (Phase 2). This will be a hub for community learning, wellbeing, and cultural exchange and will safeguard and promote the SWI's legacy by providing a sustainable income stream.