Sal Mager, Senior Archivist with a selection of community radio interview recordings
At-risk sound recordings in Shropshire Archives are to be preserved as part of a vital project to safeguard our region’s sound heritage.
The University of Leicester has been awarded more than £280,000 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to preserve at-risk sound archives across the Midlands – including those in Shropshire Council’s archives.
The development funding, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, will enable the University Library to work in partnership with Birmingham Archives and Collections, Shropshire Archives, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Archive Service and Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service to digitally preserve sound recordings that are at risk of permanent loss.
Digital Decarbonisation experts at Loughborough University will minimise the carbon footprint of processing and storing data generated by the project.
The initial funding will support a 12-month development phase, allowing Sounds of the Midlands to progress with its plans. Following this and the submission of a detailed proposal, a final decision is made on a further funding award of £1,668,000 by the Heritage Fund.
Research by the University of Leicester’s Institute for Digital Culture completed in 2025 revealed that there are as many as 18,000 reel-to-reel and cassette tapes held by the region’s libraries, archives and museums.
These tapes are physically deteriorating, and the technology to play them is becoming increasingly scarce.
Heritage experts agree that without urgent intervention many sound collections will become unplayable in the coming years.
The collections include local radio archives, oral history interviews, and music recordings. The recordings frequently capture the memories and experiences of people and communities who are underrepresented in the archival record. They include memories of local industries, rural life, the natural world, and the experiences of people and communities who have made the Midlands their home.
During the next year, an initial 1,200 recordings will be digitised and preserved. A range of events and learning activities will take place across the region, designed to showcase this important heritage.
Simon Dixon, associate director community & heritage at the University of Leicester, said:
“Through the East Midlands Oral History Archive, the University of Leicester has been preserving sound archives for a quarter of a century.
“Building on recent projects, Unlocking Our Sound Heritage and Sounds for the Future, this funding has the potential to secure a major part of the sound heritage of the Midlands for future generations.
“This work also reflects the University’s 2121: Founders of the Future campaign, supporting long-term cultural impact and access to heritage for communities.
“Thank you to National Lottery players for making this work possible.”
Sal Mager, senior archivist for Shropshire, said:
“Our collections here in Shropshire cover almost 50 years of recordings, capturing the memories and thoughts of individuals from all walks of life and all parts of the county.
“From well-known names such as Mary Webb and Lily Chitty to a rich diversity of individuals from within our communities, many of the voices are from those who have historically been less well represented in the written archives.
“All the cassette tapes, reel-to-reel tapes and CDs we hold are particularly vulnerable to deterioration and loss. We are delighted that the Sounds of the Midlands project will be able to address this at the scale needed. Not only to ensure their preservation, but to enable these voices to be heard, often for the first time since they were recorded. We are very excited to find out what we will discover hidden within them.”
Sarah Marston, Shropshire Council’s portfolio holder for communities & environment, said:
“I am delighted that Shropshire Archives is part of this vital project to safeguard our region’s sound heritage.
“These recordings offer a unique window into the stories, voices and traditions that help define Shropshire’s identity.
“By preserving these irreplaceable sounds, we are ensuring that future generations can continue to learn from and be inspired by the rich tapestry of life in our county.
“I’m especially pleased that the project recognises the value of capturing the experiences of communities whose voices have not always been heard.”
Sounds of the Midlands will develop sector-leading best practice for minimising the environmental impact of heritage digitisation projects, as Professor Tom Jackson and Professor Ian Hodgkinson, Loughborough University, explained:
“The Midlands holds a rich and diverse sound heritage that deserves to be preserved and shared with future generations. We are proud to support this pioneering project and help ensure that these invaluable recordings are not lost.
“As collections are digitised at scale, it is increasingly important to consider the environmental impact of the data we create and store.
“Through our Digital Decarbonisation expertise, we will work with partners to maximise the value of these digital archives while minimising unnecessary carbon emissions, helping to create a model for sustainable heritage preservation that could be adopted across the UK and beyond.”
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Notes to editors
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About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
*Grant applications over £250,000 are assessed in two rounds. Sounds of the Midlands has initially been granted round one development funding of £282,082 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, allowing it to progress with its plans. Detailed proposals are then considered by the Heritage Fund at second round, where a final decision is made on the full funding award of £1,668,000.
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
heritagefund.org.uk
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About the University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a leading global university, home to more than 21,000 students and 4,000 staff, with an outstanding reputation for world‑class research, innovative teaching and widening access to higher education. It holds an overall Gold rating in TEF 2023 and is ranked among the UK’s Top 30 for research quality, with 89% of research rated world‑leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021).
Leicester ranks 25th in the UK in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 33rdin the Complete University Guide 2026, and is top 10 in the UK for student experience and top 15 for student satisfaction in the 2025 National Student Survey.
Named the Daily Mail University of the Year 2025 and shortlisted for the Times Higher Education University of the Year 2024 and The Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year 2025, Leicester is driven by a commitment to excellence, inclusion and meaningful global impact.
The University’s 2121: Founders of the Future campaign sets out an ambitious vision to extend that impact over the next century through investment in research, education and culture.
