Grassington and District Peace Group Archive

Archive reference: GRA

The Group was formed by concerned individuals in the Grassington area (near Skipton, North Yorkshire) in 1981, at the height of the Cold War. Their original aims were: “To work for the abolition of weapons of mass destruction – nuclear, chemical and biological – in Britain and throughout the world. To inform ourselves and others of the facts of peace and war. To persuade the Government to divert money spent on the arms trade in order to provide the basic needs of the human race. To encourage the faith that ordinary people can influence governments.”

The Group’s activities included talks, displays, demonstrations, visits to schools, letter-writing and film shows. It produced a regular Newsletter, leaflets and postcards. In 1986, to celebrate the United Nations Year of Peace, a Peace and Friendship quilt was created, which was exhibited in many locations.

The Archive was donated by Richard Harland (a founder member and office holder of the Group) in May 2004. It includes minutes of Group meetings 1981-1994. The books and files of minutes also contain extra material, including press cuttings, leaflets, postcards and photographs. There are also Group Newsletters December 1982-February 2004 and "Grassington and District Peace Group 1981-1996", a booklet produced to commemorate the first 15 years of the Group.

Further information about the Archive can be found in the Collection description on the Archives Hub.