CIfA 2021 A Guide for Clients

PROFESSIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY | A GUIDE FOR CLIENTS 2021 33 CASE STUDIES | INNOVATIONS: NEW WAYS TO DELIVER SOCIAL VALUE THROUGH ARCHAEOLOGY and how it has impacted them in the short term. As part of a revamped volunteer programme, in 2019 volunteers were invited to fill in an evaluation including wellbeing indicator surveys based on the WEMWEBS scale, both before and after their time on site, to further establish impacts on mental wellbeing. This kind of quantification of wellbeing impact is the type of evidence and research that is urgently needed within archaeology, to bring it to the levels of Museum Studies and other adjacent disciplines when it comes to building evidence bases for public value, impact and economic benefits. With the lockdown and restrictions of Covid-19, it was apparent that the project would have to shift approach if any volunteers could benefit from being on site and if further evidence could be gathered towards assessing impact. Many previous volunteers had been in touch citing the excavation as an important part of their year and a way for them to both connect to other people and to get out of their daily routine; some directly referenced the impact on their mental health as a reason they wanted to come onto site. Several modifications were made to the usual setup – workshops on health and safety, site history, and project briefings were moved online. Paperwork was abandoned in favour of Google forms and other digital methods. Trenches were made into socially distanced outdoor workspaces, with one way systems and hygiene stations. The Volunteer Skills Handbook was not feasible in a time when The SoDA (Social Distancing for Archaeology) Toolkit by L-P Archaeology and Prospect Union Archaeology Branch is a vital tool for instantly recognisable, clear signage across the site. ©CPAT Finds labs move outdoors – in this case in what is usually a covered but open air picnic spot – to allow air to circulate for the safety of staff and volunteers. ©CPAT