Campaign Launched!

Dig Deep for YAC! is a new campaign aimed at saving the vital work of the Council for British Archaeology’s UK-wide network of Young Archaeologists’ Club Branches.

How can we ensure a future for our past? The answer lies with today’s young people. They are the past’s future. They need opportunities now to get involved, take an interest and develop a passion for the past which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. The Council for British Archaeology’s UK-wide network of volunteer-run Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) Branches provide just such opportunities for discovery and fun. However the withdrawal of the main source of public funding for the CBA threatens this fantastic resource and YAC Branches could be faced with closure. Your help is urgently needed to ensure that the CBA can continue to support YAC volunteers in providing young people with access to inspirational activities and experiences.

YAC is the only UK-wide organisation connecting young people up to the age of seventeen interested in archaeology. It does this both through membership of the magazine subscription club, YAC UK, and the network of YAC Branches. YAC Branches bring together young and old, professional and amateur and equip young people with the skills, confidence and knowledge to become future archaeological stewards, champions and practitioners. The limited opportunities to learn about archaeology at school mean that YAC Branches provide an outlet for young people to explore archaeological interests which in turn helps them to broaden their horizons and develop new ambitions. YAC’s vision is for all young people to have opportunities to be inspired and excited by archaeology, and to empower them to help shape its future. Volunteers give a staggering 37,000 hours of their time each year towards achieving this ambition.

Tony Robinson, YAC’s president and presenter of Time Team says:

Our archaeology is a vital part of our environment – once lost it can never be recovered. YAC is unique in its brief of stimulating the imagination of the young about all things archaeological. It would be a serious blow to the future maintenance of such an important part of our heritage, if YAC’s influence is diminished or indeed lost.

For ways to get involved in supporting a sustainable future for YAC Branches, please visit the YAC Campaign pages.