Crowd Cymru wins the 2026 ARA Archive Volunteering Award

Written By Deborah Mason

‍‍Crowd Cymru has won the 2026 ARA Archive Volunteering Award. The judges said of this project:

‍“An amazing project that shows what can be done with ambition and gaining necessary funding. The project really shows the enhancement of access to archives (and related cultural materials) that can be achieved using digital technology successfully. The impacts for the volunteers, the services and in this case the Welsh nation speak for themselves. They have been brought about by the development of exciting networks and the development of effective and useful tools that allow volunteers of all sorts to meaningfully interact with archival material”

“…it is a really strong example of a national network capacity, there are some good examples of wellbeing benefits, and it has grown and strengthened, which is really positive – more than a good idea, it has continued to deliver. “

‍“This is a really ambitious project of huge scope and another good example of collaborative working across institutions. I thought the inclusiveness of the model is worthy of praise as well as the thought given to the challenges of remote volunteering – remote volunteering is very different to the in-person model with specific challenges for staff. I was also impressed at the intention to capture specialist knowledge of local communities, that the volunteers are active participants, sharing their own knowledge.”

About the project

Crowd Cymru is the UK’s first national, bilingual digital archives crowdsourcing initiative, enabling people across Wales and the world to interact with, enjoy, preserve, interpret and enrich the nation’s documented memory as a connected team. It brings together local authority and university archives across Wales along with a global team of volunteers to make archives more digitally accessible, fully described and inclusive.

‍Since 2022, over 120 Crowd Cymru volunteers have transcribed and tagged over 6000 pages of archival material, making them easier to search and discover digitally. These include historic photographs of Cardiff’s Dockland community, posters and ephemera from the Gwent Lesbian and Gay Group archive, and the wartime diaries of Priscilla Scott-Ellis, a volunteer nurse during the Spanish Civil War. Our volunteers are currently working on wartime letters of the Atkinson family from Llandudno, north Wales.

Crowd Cymru is a collaboration between Bangor University, Cardiff University, Carmarthenshire Archives, Conwy Culture, Glamorgan Archives, Gwent Archives, National Library of Wales, Swansea University, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and People’s Collection Wales. The project began in 2022. Previously funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Library of Wales, it is currently funded by Welsh Government until October 2026.

This project transforms who can contribute to heritage and how they participate as a team. Unlike traditional archive volunteering which typically needs physical presence, fixed hours, and often attracts a narrow demographic, it removes nearly all barriers to participation. Volunteers contribute in their own time, from their own homes, in a way that works for them.

By creating a fully bilingual (Welsh and English), remote and flexible volunteering model Crowd Cymru has opened heritage engagement to people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and locations, including those who may have traditionally been excluded due to geography, transport, mobility, health, caring responsibilities or work commitments. The volunteers are mostly from Wales, but there are also contributors from the USA, Canada, Denmark, India and South Korea.

What also makes the project distinctive is that volunteers are not working on routine or superficial tasks - they make skilled and knowledgeable contributions that directly enrich national archival memory. Their specialist and local knowledge add depth, accuracy and context that archivists alone cannot achieve. This democratises the creation of knowledge, ensuring Wales’s national memory is shaped by the diverse communities it represents.

Volunteers value Crowd Cymru as a supportive, engaging and intellectually stimulating experience. 96% said contributing to the project improved their wellbeing, and 91% learnt new digital skills. 

By building digital skills and offering wellbeing benefits, the project has broadened the social impact, visibility and relevancy of archives, and extended engagement with archives to new audiences. It demonstrates how the recordkeeping sector can work together to adapt to change with confidence. In this project the team has piloted innovative methodologies and given visible support to wider Welsh Government priorities at local, national and international level.

Quotes:

‍Alan Hughes – Project Lead for Crowd Cymru, and Head of Special Collections and Archives at Cardiff University, said “Opening up the nation’s important archives to broad new audiences in partnership with so many sector partners has been uplifting. It’s also a privilege to work with people and communities across Wales and the world to help us protect, celebrate and grow our national story as one connected team. We are all absolutely delighted with this recognition by the archives sector in the UK and Ireland.”

‍Jennifer Evans – Project Officer for Crowd Cymru said “I have been Project Officer of Crowd Cymru since 2022 and I am very proud of the community we have all built together. Our diverse and wonderful volunteers never cease to amaze me with their enthusiasm, work ethic and friendliness. My hope is that we can continue to work on many more fascinating collections to share the wonderful stories of Wales.”

Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport, Heledd Fychan said: “I am delighted to see Crowd Cymru recognised with the 2026 ARA Archive Volunteering Award. This project brings our national archives to life through collaboration with people across Wales and the world, enabling wider engagement with our shared heritage. Crowd Cymru is a strong example of how investment in culture and digital engagement can deliver lasting benefits across Wales, ensuring that Wales's story truly belongs to everyone.”

Further information

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Further information about the project can be found at: https://www.gwentarchives.gov.uk/en/partnership-and-projects/crowdcymru/

Read the winner case study here: https://www.archives.org.uk/volunteering-case-studies/crowd-cymru-winnerara-archive-volunteering-award-2026

‍Read a recent blog post about Crowd Cymru on the ARA website here: https://www.archives.org.uk/news/crowdcymru-digital-volunteering-with-the-archives-of-wales

‍Listen to a podcast about the Crowd Cymru project here: ‍      https://sites.libsyn.com/448569/volunteer-special-crowdcymru

The other nominees

Other nominees were:

  • Yorkshire and North East Film Archive – In the Veins

  • Surrey Heritage World War II bomb incident map

  • The Story, Durham – What’s The Story Archive Podcast

  • University Radio York

‍The judges Highly Commended Yorkshire and North East Film Archive for their project: In the Veins.

You can find case studies for each of these projects here: https://www.archives.org.uk/volunteering-case-studies/tag/Volunteering+Case+Study

About the ARA Archive Volunteering Award

This annual award recognises work involving volunteers within an institutional archive service in the UK or Ireland during the previous 18 months. It celebrates the role of volunteers in supporting archive services, and collects good practice case studies to inform the wider sector. This award is a key strand of the work of the Archive and Record Association’s Volunteering in Archives, Action Plan, bringing to life the recommendations the ARA report Volunteering in Archives. The award is also supported by The UK National Archives, the Welsh Government’s Museums, Arts, Archives and Libraries Division, and the Scottish Council on Archives. 

This award which is made in June each year is open to archives across the United Kingdom and Ireland. 

Further information about the awards including past winner case studies can be found here: ‍ ‍

https://www.archives.org.uk/ara-archive-volunteering-award


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Gwobr Gwirfoddolwyr Archifau ARA 2026 i Crowd Cymru

Mae Crowd Cymru wedi ennill Gwobr Gwirfoddolwyr Archifau ARA 2026. Dywedodd y beirniaid fod y prosiect hwn yn:

‍“Brosiect anhygoel sy’n dangos beth sy’n gallu cael ei wneud gydag uchelgais a’r cyllid angenrheidiol. Mae'r prosiect wir yn dangos sut y gellir gwella mynediad at archifau (a deunyddiau diwylliannol cysylltiedig) gan ddefnyddio technoleg ddigidol yn llwyddiannus. Mae'r effeithiau ar y gwirfoddolwyr, y gwasanaethau ac, yn yr achos hwn, ar Gymru, yn siarad drostynt eu hunain. Maen nhw'n ganlyniad i ddatblygiad rhwydweithiau cyffrous a datblygiad offerynnau effeithiol a defnyddiol sy'n galluogi gwirfoddolwyr o bob math i ryngweithio mewn ffordd ystyrlon â deunyddiau archifol”.

‍“…mae'n enghraifft gref dros ben o gapasiti rhwydwaith cenedlaethol, mae yna enghreifftiau da o fanteision i lesiant, ac mae wedi tyfu a chryfhau, sy'n wirioneddol gadarnhaol – mae'n fwy na syniad da, mae wedi parhau i gyflawni.”

‍“Dyma brosiect uchelgeisiol iawn â chwmpas enfawr ac enghraifft dda arall o gydweithio ar draws sefydliadau. Roeddwn i'n teimlo bod natur gynhwysol y model yn haeddu canmoliaeth yn ogystal â'r ystyriaeth a roddwyd i'r heriau o wirfoddoli o bell – mae gwirfoddoli o bell yn wahanol iawn i'r model wyneb yn wyneb, ac mae yna heriau penodol i staff. Mae'r bwriad o  ddal gwybodaeth arbenigol am gymunedau lleol, a'r ffaith fod y gwirfoddolwyr yn gyfranogwyr gweithgar ac yn rhannu eu gwybodaeth eu hunain, hefyd wedi creu argraff arnaf.”

‍Mwy am y prosiect

‍Crowd Cymru yw menter dorfoli ddwyieithog genedlaethol gyntaf y DU ar gyfer archifau digidol, ac mae'n galluogi pobl o bob rhan o Gymru a'r byd i ryngweithio â chof dogfennol y genedl. ei fwynhau, ei gadw, ei ddehongli a'i gyfoethogi, fel un tîm cysylltiedig. Mae'n dod ag archifau awdurdodau lleol a phrifysgolion o bob cwr o Gymru at ei gilydd ynghyd â thîm byd-eang o wirfoddolwyr, i sicrhau bod archifau'n fwy hygyrch yn ddigidol, wedi'u disgrifio'n llawn ac yn gynhwysol.

‍Er 2022, mae dros 120 o wirfoddolwyr Crowd Cymru wedi trawsgrifio a thagio dros 6000 o dudalennau o ddeunyddiau archifol, gan eu gwneud yn haws eu chwilio a'u darganfod yn ddigidol. Mae'r rhain yn cynnwys ffotograffau hanesyddol o gymuned Dociau Caerdydd, posteri ac effemera o archif Grŵp Lesbiaidd a Hoyw Gwent, a dyddiaduron rhyfel Priscilla Scott-Ellis, nyrs wirfoddol yn ystod Rhyfel Cartref Sbaen. Ar hyn o bryd mae ein gwirfoddolwyr yn gweithio ar lythyrau rhyfel y teulu Atkinson o Landudno, gogledd Cymru.

‍Mae Crowd Cymru yn brosiect ar y cyd rhwng Prifysgol Bangor, Prifysgol Caerdydd, Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin, Diwylliant Conwy, Archifau Morgannwg, Archifau Gwent, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, Prifysgol Abertawe, Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant a Chasgliad y Werin Cymru. Dechreuodd y prosiect yn 2022. Ariannwyd y prosiect yn flaenorol gan Gronfa Treftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol a Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, ac ar hyn o bryd mae'n cael ei ariannu gan Lywodraeth Cymru hyd nes mis Hydref 2026.

‍Mae'r prosiect hwn yn trawsnewid y gallu i gyfrannu at dreftadaeth a’r ffordd y mae pobl yn cymryd rhan fel tîm. Yn wahanol i wirfoddoli traddodiadol mewn archifau, sydd fel arfer yn gofyn am presenoldeb ffisegol, oriau sefydlog, ac yn aml yn denu demograffig cul, mae'n dileu bron pob rhwystr i gyfranogiad. Mae gwirfoddolwyr yn cyfrannu yn eu hamser eu hunain, o'u cartrefi eu hunain, mewn ffordd sy'n gweithio iddyn nhw.

‍Trwy greu model gwirfoddoli sy'n gwbl ddwyieithog (Cymraeg a Saesneg), yn gweithio o bell ac yn hyblyg, mae Crowd Cymru wedi agor y gallu i ymgysylltu â threftadaeth i bobl o bob oedran, cefndir, gallu a lleoliad, gan gynnwys y rheiny a allai fod wedi'u hallgau yn draddodiadol oherwydd daearyddiaeth, trafnidiaeth, symudedd, iechyd, cyfrifoldebau gofalu neu ymrwymiadau gwaith. Mae'r gwirfoddolwyr yn dod o Gymru gan fwyaf, ond mae yna gyfranwyr hefyd o UDA, Canada, Denmarc, India a De Corea.

‍Yr hyn sy'n gwneud y prosiect yn unigryw hefyd yw nad yw gwirfoddolwyr yn gweithio ar dasgau arferol neu arwynebol - maent yn gwneud cyfraniadau medrus a gwybodus sy'n cyfoethogi cof archifol y genedl yn uniongyrchol. Mae eu gwybodaeth arbenigol a lleol yn ychwanegu dyfnder, cywirdeb a chyd-destun na all archifwyr eu hunain eu hychwanegu. Mae hyn yn democrateiddio'r broses o greu gwybodaeth, gan sicrhau bod cof cenedlaethol Cymru yn cael ei siapio gan y cymunedau amrywiol y mae'n eu cynrychioli.

‍Mae gwirfoddolwyr yn gwerthfawrogi Crowd Cymru fel profiad cefnogol, difyr a deallusol ysgogol. Dywedodd 96% fod cyfrannu at y prosiect wedi gwella’u llesiant, a dysgodd 91% sgiliau digidol newydd. 

‍Trwy adeiladu sgiliau digidol a chynnig buddion o ran llesiant, mae'r prosiect wedi ehangu effaith gymdeithasol, gwelededd a pherthnasedd archifau, ac wedi ymestyn ymgysylltiad ag archifau i gynulleidfaoedd newydd. Mae'n dangos sut y gall y sector gydweithio i addasu'n hyderus i newid. Yn y prosiect hwn mae'r tîm wedi treialu methodoleg arloesol ac wedi rhoi cefnogaeth weladwy i flaenoriaethau ehangach Llywodraeth Cymru ar lefel leol, genedlaethol a rhyngwladol.

‍DYFYNIADAU

‍Meddai Alan Hughes – Arweinydd Prosiect gyda Crowd Cymru, a Phennaeth Casgliadau Arbennig ac Archifau ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd: "Mae agor archifau pwysig y genedl i gynulleidfaoedd newydd eang, mewn partneriaeth â chymaint o bartneriaid y sector,  wedi bod yn chwa o awyr iach. Mae hefyd yn fraint gweithio gyda phobl a chymunedau ledled Cymru a'r byd i'n helpu i ddiogelu stori'r genedl, ei dathlu a'i thyfu, fel un tîm cysylltiedig. Rydyn ni i gyd wrth ein boddau â'r gydnabyddiaeth hon gan y sector archifau yn y DU ac Iwerddon.”

‍Meddai Jennifer Evans – Swyddog Prosiect Crowd Cymru: "Rydw i wedi bod yn Swyddog Prosiect i Crowd Cymru er 2022 ac rwy'n falch iawn o'r gymuned rydyn ni i gyd wedi'i hadeiladu gyda'n gilydd. Mae ein gwirfoddolwyr amrywiol a gwych yn fy rhyfeddu dro ar ôl tro gyda'u brwdfrydedd, eu hagwedd at y gwaith a'u cyfeillgarwch. Fy ngobaith yw y gallwn barhau i weithio ar lawer mwy o gasgliadau diddorol i rannu straeon gwych Cymru.”

‍Meddai Heledd Fychan – Gweinidog y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chwaraeon: “Rwy'n falch iawn o weld Crowd Cymru yn cael eu cydnabod am eu gwaith drwy ennill Gwobr Gwirfoddoli Archif ARA 2026. Mae'r prosiect hwn yn dod â'n harchifau cenedlaethol yn fyw trwy gydweithio gyda phobl ledled Cymru a'r byd, a galluogi mwy o bobl i ymgysylltu â'n treftadaeth. Mae Crowd Cymru yn enghraifft gref o sut y gall buddsoddi mewn diwylliant ac ymgysylltu digidol, greu manteision parhaol ledled Cymru, a sicrhau bod stori Cymru, wir yn eiddo i bawb.”

‍Rhagor o wybodaeth

‍‍Yr enwebeion eraill

‍Yr enwebeion eraill oedd:

  • ‍Yorkshire and North East Film Archive – In the Veins

  • ‍Map digwyddiadau bomio Ail Ryfel Byd Surrey Heritage

  • ‍The Story, Durham – Podlediad Archif What's The Story

  • ‍University Radio York

‍Cafodd Yorkshire and North East Film Archive ganmoliaeth uchel gan y beirniaid am eu prosiect: In the Veins

‍Gallwch ddod o hyd i astudiaethau achos ar gyfer pob un o'r prosiectau hyn, yma: https://www.archives.org.uk/volunteering-case-studies/tag/Volunteering+Case+Study

‍‍Mwy am Wobr Gwirfoddolwyr Archifau ARA

Mae'r wobr flynyddol hon yn cydnabod gwaith sy'n cynnwys gwirfoddolwyr o fewn gwasanaeth archifau sefydliad yn y DU neu Iwerddon yn ystod y 18 mis blaenorol. Mae'n dathlu rôl gwirfoddolwyr wrth gefnogi gwasanaethau archif, ac yn casglu astudiaethau achos am arfer da er mwyn goleuo'r sector ehangach. Mae'r wobr hon yn elfen allweddol o Gynllun Gwaith Gwirfoddoli mewn Archifau ARA, ac yn dod ag argymhellion adroddiad ARA,  Gwirfoddoli mewn Archifau, yn fyw. Cefnogir y wobr hefyd gan UK National Archives, Is-adran Amgueddfeydd, Archifau a Llyfrgelloedd Llywodraeth Cymru, a Scottish Council on Archives. 

Mae'r wobr hon, a gyflwynir ym mis Mehefin bob blwyddyn, yn agored i archifau o bob rhan o'r Deyrnas Unedig ac Iwerddon. 

Gellir dod o hyd i ragor o wybodaeth am y gwobrau, gan gynnwys astudiaethau achos enillwyr blaenorol, yma.

https://www.archives.org.uk/ara-archive-volunteering-award


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Deborah Mason
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