About CIfA Groups

CIfA's Area and Special Interest Groups represent different specialisms, geographical areas and themes across the historic environment sector. They were formed by CIfA members who want to promote the Institute's work and provide a forum for discussion regarding good practice and assist in setting high professional standards. Groups also present specialist views through the Advisory Council and respond to consultations from external bodies when requested. Each Group is led by volunteers. They give their time to promote the Institute's work.

Connecting with CIfA's groups will keep you up to date with current policy and professional practice through meetings, CPD training events, and e-newsletters.

Explore geographical groups

Explore special interest groups

Join a CIfA group

Being a member of a CIfA Group provides a range of benefits including 

  • discussion about concerns and good practice within a geographical area or specialism
  • newsletters and ebulletins developed by the Group
  • Group led events and learning including day conferences, bitesize CPD sessions or specialism training opportunities
  • networking or discussion opportunities
  • involvement in relevant consultations, policy debate and research requests

CIfA members can join any group for free! Visit your Member Area (login required) and choose the 'Your Groups' option, or update your choices when you renew your membership each year in April.

Non-CIfA members can join any group for an annual fee of £15 per group as a Group Supporter. It may be worthwhile applying to be a CIfA member if you wish to join several of them. To join a group as a Group Supporter, use our Group Supporter application form [This form will be available shortly].

Group Supporters receive a range of benefits to being a member of our Groups including

  • bulletins specifically for Group Supporters twice per year
  • free attendance at relevant Group digital events including bitesize CPD, tea breaks and networking sessions
  • CIfA member rate fee at the relevant paid for Group events
  • signposting to relevant materials, papers, conferences or consultations relevant to the discipline
  • opportunity to feed into the work being done by relevant Groups
  • access to a PDF version of a relevant themed The Archaeologist magazine guest edited by Groups you are a member of
  • plus much more!

For further information about the benefit of joining any CIfA Groups, please contact groups@archaeologists.net.

Volunteer on a CIfA group committee

Being part of CIfA allows you to take an active role in supporting and shaping the profession. We draw on the expertise and knowledge of CIfA professionals in all our work. The best way to influence is to get involved.

Being part of a CIfA group committee allows you to work on important issues within your specialism or area and advise CIfA. To find out more please have a look at the individual group pages and the links below.

CIfA Group Committee - roles and responsibilities (PDF | 215.79 KB)
FAQs about volunteering on a Group committee

Who can join a committee?

Chair, Vice-chair or Secretary positions can only be held by accredited members. Ordinary committee members can be accredited and non-accredited members (Student or Affiliate).

Where and when are the meetings held?

Mainly on Zoom or Teams and are held at least four times per year. This includes an annual meeting where the wider Group membership will also be in attendance.  In person committee meetings will be in various locations depending on where committee members are based. Attendance at in person meetings is not compulsory.

Please note that we understand members have other commitments as volunteers and we do not expect them to attend all the meetings or be available all the time. We can work around you. Some committees hold their meetings during working hours, others prefer to hold theirs in the evening. If you would like information about specific committees and their schedules, please email groups@archaeologists.net

How do I join a Group committee?

Look out for the call for nominations prior to the group AGMs throughout the year and complete a nomination form, with a nominator and one seconder. You can also find vacancies listed on the JIST bulletin or on the Groups webpages. If you need support in completing any documentation or would like more information about any stage of the process, please email groups@archaeologists.net.

Why should I join a committee?

Reasons members have given include:

  • developing a network of professionals outside of your own organisation
  • activities and experiences that contribute to your own Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours
  • influencing policy and practice
  • contributing to the development of the profession by giving something back
  • contributing to your profession and your Institute
  • reasonable travel expenses are paid for

More details can be found here.

What experience do I need? 

For Group volunteering you do not need any experience, but a familiarity with Group committees would be useful. We have a Groups Toolkit to help support new committee members alongside the existing committee members and staff. There can also be opportunities to shadow committee members to learn about what is involved.

A member of staff, our Member Engagement Coordinator is also on hand to support with any queries you may have and to help you feel part of the CIfA team!

What is the time commitment?

Existing volunteers estimate that the total time-commitment for any Group committee role is a minimum of five hours per month, although this can vary. For more information about the time commitment for a specific role please get in touch.

I'm still not sure this is for me

We actively encourage and welcome applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation or age. If you find completing online applications difficult, please don't let this stop you from applying. If you have any questions about the role or need any support in volunteering, please contact our Member Engagement Coordinator for an informal chat on groups@archaeologists.net.

Setting up a new CIfA group

Interested in setting up your own Area or Special Interest Group? Please read the regulations governing area and special interest groups (see below) and contact CIfA before submitting a proposal. This helps us to manage staff resources and offer support on the different formats.

Regulations governing Area and Special Interest Groups (PDF | 545.44 KB)