About us
The Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain (DSWA) was established in 1968 and is a registered charity that works to advance education in the craft and heritage of dry stone walling for the public benefit.
Since its formation the DSWA has grown in to a national organisation recognised and respected for its work. The national office is based in Cumbria and there are 18 regional branches spread throughout the UK. We are the Derbyshire Branch.
What we do
Dry stone walls have been part of the landscape of the UK for thousands of years. The DSWA is the country’s only organisation dedicated to protecting this rich history.
It is estimated that there are approximately 200,000 km of dry stone walls in the UK but only a small percentage of these are in good condition, with many in an advanced stage of decay and/or derelict.
The DSWA is committed to raising awareness of the importance of our dry stone walls and their heritage to both the general public, land owners and the government. The Association, both nationally and through its network of local branches, runs numerous training courses throughout the year. This ensures the skills required to maintain and build new walls are passed down to the next generation of dry stone wallers.
How we work
Under charity law the Dry Stone Walling Association is governed by a board of Trustees, who are volunteers. The Trustee Board consists of up to twelve elected Trustees and from this number the Trustees elect a Chairman and Deputy Chairman. All the Association’s legal responsibilities lie with the Trustees who formulate the Association’s direction, policies, budget and staffing levels.
There are currently two sub committees:
The Craft Skills Group, responsible for the Association’s training and certification activities.
The Staffing Committee, looking at the staffing requirements of the Association.
The Association employs a full time Administrator to manage the day to day running of the national office, an Admin Assistant and a Training and Education Coordinator.
Key governance documents:
| DSWA Trustee Board Minutes: | Governance Documents: | DSWA Policies: |
| •June 2022 | • Annual Report 2021 – 2022 | • Code of Practice |
| •September 2022 | • Minutes from 2022 AGM | • Equality & Diversity |
| • December 2022 | • Constitution – updated June 2016 | • Safeguarding |
| • October 2021 | • Rules – updated April 2019 | • Privacy & Cookies Policy |
| • December 2021 | • Nomination for election of Trustees | • Acceptable Use for DSWA Website |
| • March 2022 | • Terms of Use for DSWA Website |