The Mills Archive Trust is committed to reducing any environmental impacts we have as a charity, whilst also supporting research into the history of renewable energy, food security, and heritage crafts, with the hope of a more sustainable future for us all.
Many of our records hold key information on these topics as the history of milling is deeply tied to the development of wind and water turbines as we know them today. Our records also contain information about environmental impacts on crop growth, the social impacts of various crises within food production, and individual stories of hope across time.
There is much more to discover within our collections, and the climate emergency has only highlighted our need for such conversations and further research to be conducted. The work we do is increasingly reflecting these themes – we are specifically hoping to empower young people in the fight for sustainability, whilst also spotlighting the unique opportunity archives have to illuminate the way forward by discovering the past. See our pages on the Reading emPowered project and our Sustainability Youth Network for more information.
As a small organisation we are reducing our impact in any way we can. We recognise that although this might not make a massive difference, we know that big changes start with small commitments. Our environmental policy (below) ensures that we hold ourselves, our interns, our volunteers, and our visitors to a high standard when it comes to reducing environmental impacts.
See here for our Environmental Policy
This policy has been developed with the help of the Youth Sustainability Network as part of The Mills Archive Trust’s commitment to engaging young people in environmental and educational matters: special thanks to Josephine Maxwell, Charlotte Emerton-Rolfe, Ugo Obihara, Mia Hopkins, & Sofia Pantsjoha.
