What participants say, in their own words

The challenge

A family managing their late parents' estate found that documents relating to three properties were spread across two homes and a rented storage unit. No single family member had a complete picture. The estate administration was delayed while they tried to compile what existed.

What we did

We ran a private mapping session with four family members present. Each contributed what they knew of each property. Using the floor plan method, we produced a consolidated location record covering all three properties — not a legal register, but a practical guide to where every document was held and in what form.

The outcome

Within one week of the session, the family had located all the documents their solicitor needed to proceed. The referral sheet from the session was used directly to identify the correct professional for the estate administration matters that were outside our scope. The family subsequently enrolled two adult children in the photography programme.

The challenge

A participant held a collection of ceramic and metalwork pieces accumulated by her grandfather over forty years. Some came with family stories; others had no documentation at all. A previous attempt to engage a valuer had stalled because the collection was not described in any consistent way.

What we did

Over six weeks, she photographed and described all seventy pieces using our standard sheet. By week three, she had a method she could apply independently. The tropical condition grading key flagged five pieces that had moisture damage not visible in casual inspection. These were noted as requiring specialist conservation advice — outside our scope, with a referral provided.

The outcome

The completed archive contained seventy described and photographed entries, with provenance entries that clearly separated documented facts from family memory. The valuer she subsequently engaged used the archive directly, noting that it was the most organised private collection she had encountered. No value or ownership determination was part of our engagement.

The challenge

A community heritage trust in the Klang Valley had received a donated collection of approximately 800 objects over twelve years. The items ranged from textiles to photographs to domestic furniture. There was no catalogue, the storage had no climate management and the trust's three part-time volunteers had no formal cataloguing training.

What we did

Over eight months, we completed a full collection survey, developed a description schema aligned to published standards, produced a storage and pest-management plan adapted for the building's conditions, and delivered six days of training for all three volunteers and two board members. An accessions procedure was drafted alongside the trust's appointed legal professionals.

The outcome

At the close of the engagement, 742 of 800 items had been catalogued to the agreed standard. A phased plan covered the remaining items and future accessions. The trust's next donor presentation included the new catalogue as evidence of institutional capacity. Staff capacity to maintain and extend the catalogue independently was confirmed in the closing report.