We are members of this Society and would like to encourage everyone to support the 'Friends'. The following information has been extracted from their website at the following link: http://historyofoldbury.co.uk/2fosa.htm
"Oldbury is now part of Sandwell, and the main depository for its archives is Sandwell Community History and Archives Service [CHAS], based at Smethwick Library. Relevant archives are also held in Worcestershire County Record Office (Worcester), Shropshire County Record Office (Shrewsbury), Birmingham Archives, Dudley Archives and the National Archives (London), as well as other public and private archives.
In 2005, the Friends of Sandwell Archives (FOSA) was set up by a group of local and family historians who use the services provided at CHAS, and it now has a membership of about fifty. Its main aims are
to support the development and activities of CHAS to publicise the archives and encourage the use of the service by the public to arrange talks relevant to Sandwell and its archives to encourage volunteering to assist projects at CHAS by indexing, transcribing etc to purchase items for the archives not obtainable within the normal budget of CHAS
FOSA has recently purchased some early documents related to Chance Brothers glassworks at Smethwick, and five plans of the land held by Hampton-in Arden-Charity including holdings in Oldbury.
Membership: £5 per annum. This provides free entrance to all meetings and information on the activities of FOSA by e-mail (preferred) or post. Cheques payable to 'Friends of Sandwell Archives', sent to Friends of Sandwell Archives, c/o 9, Purshall Close, Redditch, Worcestershire, B97 4PD
Meetings are held at CHAS, at Smethwick Library, High Street, Smethwick at 2.30 pm on Thursdays
Free to members of FOSA
Non-members are welcome at all meetings at a charge of £2 per meeting"
FRIENDS OF SANDWELL ARCHIVES - FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
20 January 2011 Annual General Meeting & talk - "The West Bromwich Spitfire" by Brian Wilkes
10 or 17 March 2011 To be announced
12 May 2011 "Anglican Churches of Sandwell" by Richard Slaughter [CHAS}
