This is the first newsletter from Midland Ancestors for a while. It is proposed to create a newsletter in the months that members don’t receive their Journal. Hopefully this will keep members up-to-date in November, January, February, April, May, July/August, and October. Click on the link below and Enjoy!
Collecting Oral Histories
If you are an ex-employee of Chance Brothers
Sandwell Archives would like to hear from you.
Related News:
Henry Chance is giving a talk to the Stourbridge Group on
24th Jan. 2026 entitled “A Short History of the Chance Brothers”
New Volunteering Opportunity
A new Programme Secretary is needed to set up the monthly meetings in Birmingham.
A member with good organisational and communications skills would help the Society to continue these events at the Birmingham & Midland Institute which have been running since the Society was formed. There is also the possibility that future meetings in the winter would take place on Zoom which would avoid the need to travel in the poorer weather.
If you would like to volunteer to take on this important role please contact Peter Middleton for further information or go to the Volunteering Opportunities page for more details.
The MA Genealogy Panel
The Midland Ancestors Genealogy Panel is a new initiative to help our members with their family history research.
We’re looking for experienced members to sign up to a list of in-house experts who can be called on to help with content-related tasks.
By signing up to the Panel you are simply adding your name to a list of people willing to help. You are not committing to any specific task or role – unless you wish to. Once up and running, requests and queries will be sent to individuals who match the relevant criteria or in some instances to the whole list.
If you are willing to help, then please complete our short questionnaire on your family history knowledge and skills.
Go to the third menu item in the Members Area.
News Reminder
Volunteers still required
The positions below (marked with ***) are still vacant and details of all other opportunities (shown below) can be found on the Volunteering Opportunities page.
Online Shop Product Administrator – new opportunity added Aug.’25
Research Assistants/Librarians at theFamily History Centre
Positions on the Help Desk at Warwickshire Record Office
Warwickshire Parish Registers Transcription work & other Project Work
Staffordshire Lost Memorials Project
*** Chairperson: The primary responsibility is to chair the Board of Trustees and provide general oversight of the Society, ensuring that its mission, values, and objectives are upheld by providing strategic direction, fostering community engagement, and working closely with trustees, volunteers, and members to promote family history research and education.
*** Minutes Secretary: To provide support to the General Secretary in organising and minuting Board of Trustees Meetings and the AGM.
*** Birmingham Group, Programme Secretary: Responsible for organising the Birmingham Group talks.
Contact Kim Walker to Volunteer or obtain more details.
National Volunteer Week
National Volunteer Week is from Monday 2nd June to Sunday 8th June 2025. Each day a new post will go out on Twitter and Facebook advertising the vacancies.
Tuesday 3rd June – Join Our Team as a Trustee!
Wednesday 4th June – Join Our Team as a Shop Product Administrator!
Thursday 5th June – Join Our Team as Minute Secretary to the Executive Committee!
Friday 6th June – Join Our Team as Programme Secretary!
Saturday 7th June – Join Our Team as Marketing Officer for Events and Outreach!
Find more details on the Birmingham Meetings page.
or Contact our General Secretary: Kim Walker