News

January 2026 Newsletter

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.

Can you help safeguard the future of our Society?

Following the recent departures of key personnel, the Board of Trustees has been reviewing the structure and governance of Midland Ancestors. The Board believes that fundamental reforms in management and governance are necessary in order to safeguard the organisation’s future.
With this in mind, the Board is proposing to redefine the roles of Chair and General Secretary and to create several additional roles, in order to spread the workload more evenly.

Vacancies

The available vacancies include the following:

• Chairperson: Responsible for leading and overseeing the activities of Midland Ancestors, ensuring that its mission, values, and objectives are upheld. The Chair will provide strategic direction, foster community engagement, and work collaboratively with the Board, volunteers, and members to promote family history research and education.
  To make the Chair’s role sustainable, important changes are now envisaged. The primary responsibility will be to chair the Board of Trustees and provide general oversight of the Society. It will no longer be an operational role, nor involve the management of the Birmingham Group, which will be a separate responsibility (see below).
  You can download the full job description here.
• General Secretary: Will play a key role in the effective management and administration of Midland Ancestors, ensuring smooth and efficient operation of day-to-day activities. Acts as the central point of contact for internal and external communication, helps coordinate events and meetings, and supports the overall mission of the Society. This is an exciting opportunity for an organised and detail-oriented individual with a passion for genealogy and preserving family history.
  You can download the full job description here.

In addition, the following new positions are being created:

• Minutes Secretary: Will provide support to the General Secretary in organising and minuting Board of Trustees Meetings and the AGM.
• Technology Officer: Responsible for oversight of the Society’s IT, including liaison with, and monitoring of, external IT contractors. Also includes management of the Society’s website.
• Events, Marketing and Outreach Officer: Responsible for organising the Society’s participation in events, as well as general marketing and outreach activities.
• Birmingham Group, Chair: In future, Birmingham will operate as a local group, along the same lines as others. The Group will have its own Chair and committee responsible for running Birmingham meetings and other activities.
• Birmingham Group, Programme Secretary: Responsible for organising the Birmingham Group talks.

We also have other volunteer opportunities available. Some can be carried out remotely making distance no object, if you would like to help.

To discuss any of these vacancies, informally and without obligation, please contact the Trustees at trustees@midanc.uk.
Or by post: Midland Ancestors, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham. B3 3BS

The future of your Society is in your hands!