The Boys’ Brigade Archive shall collect and maintain an Archive of The Boys’ Brigade both digitally and physical artifacts and material according to the policy laid out below, and at the discretion of the Boys’ Brigade Archivist:

1. Where possible digital copies shall be made of all material held in the Boys’ Brigade archive collection, and this shall be the primary resource for research and accessing the material and data.
2. The archive collects material ‘born’ digitally and encourages Companies, Battalions and Districts to send in digital data to be added to the archive collection. This includes minutes, photographs, film, audio clips, newsletters etc.
3. Headquarter Issue publications, including awards programmes, handbooks, regulations. – 3 copies of each edition shall be kept in the archive collection.
4. Headquarters issue annual publications, including BB Gazettes, Annual reports – 3 bound copies and 2 loose copies of each shall be kept in the archive collection. 
5. District, Battalion & Company issue publications – 1 copy of each shall be kept in the archive collection.
6. Letters, correspondence and personal papers shall be digitised and kept.
7. Newspaper cuttings shall be digitised and only the digital copy kept.
8. Glass slide, photographs, negatives, slides and film, all copies shall be kept and where possible digitised.
9. Magnetic medium such as video and audio tapes, shall be digitised and the original copies destroyed.
10. Company records, statistical returns, training records and leader registrations shall be digitised and either securely destroyed or stored in secure storage in accordance with GDPR requirements.
11. Objects including trophies, ceramic, wooden, metal items and gifts shall, where space permits, be stored and made available for loan and display at the discretion of the Boys’ Brigade Archivist. Surplus objects, and items which cannot be safely stored and conserved shall be disposed of.
12. Colours and flags shall be stored and made available for loan and display at the discretion of the Boys’ Brigade Archivist.
13. Badges and awards: 3 examples of each shall be kept in the collection, and where manufacturing variations exist, an additional 1 example of each variation shall be kept. Badges produced by a Company or Battalion: 1 of each shall be kept in the archive collection.
14. Uniform and clothing items: 3 examples of each HQ issued uniform item shall be kept in the collections, and where manufacturing variations exist, an additional 1 example of each variation shall be kept. Clothing items produced for a specific event, or by a Company or Battalion: 1 of each shall be kept in the archive collection.
15. Personal collections: The Boys’ Brigade archive accepts donations of personal collections, and will digitise, record and photograph these collections. Where space permits they will be retained and stored as a complete collection, however we do not guarantee to keep the collection intact, and may dispose of surplus at the discretion of the Boys’ Brigade Archivist.
16.  Company and Battalion archive collections: The Boys’ Brigade archive accepts donations of Company and Battalion archive material, and will digitise, record and photograph these collections. Where space permits they will be retained and stored as a complete collection, however we do not guarantee to keep the collection intact, and may dispose of surplus at the discretion of the Boys’ Brigade Archivist. These items shall be made available for loan upon request from the authority of the donor Company or Battalion.

Surplus material may be deposited with partner institutions and archives where possible, and may also be sold or destroyed. Material and items deposited with the Boys’ Brigade archive, shall become the property of The Boys’ Brigade Archive Trust.

All costs associated with transport, insurance and security for materials on loan shall be the responsibility of the loanee, and shall be at the discretion of the Boys’ Brigade Archivist.

All material is stored in accordance with UK GDRP requirements, and as such, access for research may be limited, and will be at the discretion of the Boys’ Brigade Archivist.