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Archives |
The collection of Avec papers is unique and extraordinarily valuable. These files are all open for public view. The collection contains, for instance, a vast number of position and briefing papers about work situations and projects by those involved in them. These papers profile situations, describe the practitioners’ beliefs and approaches, the opportunities and difficulties they faced and the help they needed. Some notes of the analytical and consultative discussions which led to designing work programmes are also included and, in some cases, reports. The intrinsic value and reliability of this material is high: it was presented to get help and was thoroughly examined by groups of practitioners and work consultants — some notes of which are available.
The main sections are:
- Community-development
- The Methodist Church in Britain and community development, 1964-1980
- Parchmore Methodist Church Youth and Community Centre Project (one of the Ten-Centres Scheme) 1966-1972
- Project 70-75 (an ecumenical action-research project to test the applicability of church and community development approaches) 1970-1976
- Avec, an ecumenical agency for church and community development (1976-1994)
- Subsequent work
- T.R. Batten's papers and articles about his life and work (to be made available later).
The Avec section is the most extensive and includes papers related to:
- the far reaching discussions about how the agency could achieve its purposes and the problems it faced
- courses, including those for missionaries work consultancy with individuals, projects, and group consultancies.
All this work was treated as action research and fully recorded and evaluated by the participants themselves, the staff and trustees, and through an independent research programme.
Students and others wishing to use the Avec archives may apply for a research bursary. For details see: https://ocmch.wordpress.com/research-bursaries
Catalogue
See the description of Avec Archives: Annotated Catalogue. A Supplement to the Catalogue is available only in the archives.
Location
Gibbs' Room archives
Click on a picture to enlarge it
Avec archives
The archives are housed in the Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History, Oxford Brookes University. The archives can be viewed and studied in the Gibbs' room (Harcourt Hill campus GG/02). Enquiries concerning access to the archives to:
Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History
Oxford Brookes University
Harcourt Hill Campus
Oxford
OX2 9AT
Tel: +44 (0)1865 488319
Email: admin.ocmch@brookes.ac.uk
Website: https://ocmch.wordpress.com/
The Centre is normally open on weekdays 9.00 am to 5.00 pm and at other times by arrangement. Please check with the Centre that the archives will be open at the time you would like to use them. On arrival please register at reception.
How to reach the campus: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/contacts-maps-and-campuses/harcourt-hill-campus/