Wolverhampton's Archives and Local Studies service has received a prestigious award from the National Archives. It has been awarded Archive Service Accreditation status, meaning it provides an excellent standard of customer service, preserves collections in line with national standards and is a robust, sustainable service which plans and delivers ongoing improvement.

The National Archives Director of Research and Collections Valerie Johnson and the Engagement Manager for the West of England Owen Munday visited Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies service today (Tuesday 19 July) to officially present the award to Senior Archivist Heidi McIntosh and Councillor Peter Bilson, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Assets.

Councillor Bilson said: "This award is testament to the excellent service Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies provides to our city. It is a valuable resource, well-used by people wanting to explore the rich history of Wolverhampton and its people."

Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies houses a wealth of material relating to the history of all parts of the city of Wolverhampton including Bilston, Bushbury, Penn, Tettenhall and Wednesfield.

Its ever growing collection includes maps, books, census returns, newspapers, records from local schools, churches, clubs, societies and businesses, electoral registers, and indexes to births, deaths and marriages. There are also over 30,000 photographs, plus films, sound recordings, memorabilia and much more.

Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies is based at the Molineux Hotel Building on Whitmore Hill and is open on Tuesdays from 10am-4pm, Wednesdays from 10am-7pm and Thursdays from 10am-4pm. Admission is free.