2023 Impact Report
Find out what Waterloo Uncovered achieved in 2023.
2023 has been another bumper year for Waterloo Uncovered. From adding landmarks back to the Waterloo map to supporting an international group of veterans and students, we’ve made our mark this year!
This past year saw the delivery of four exciting veteran support programmes, targeting new groups of veterans in the Midlands and beyond, alongside a range of community fundraising activities and events.
In the summer, we returned to where it all began for Waterloo Uncovered - Hougoumont Farm - to excavate two fascinating features that have changed our understanding of how the attack on the farm played out.
Check out our latest Impact Report to learn more about our discoveries and hear the stories of the veterans we supported.
2022 Impact Report
In 2022, we were finally able to return to the Battlefield with a new group of international veterans and serving military personnel, where we made some of our most exciting and poignant discoveries to date. In addition to our annual excavation, we ran six online support programmes, including our first supporting military spouses; hosted an incredible evening at the National Gallery; made international news; and much, much more!
In this report, you will get an idea of what our small team has managed to achieve this year, achievements that we are incredibly proud of. Read on to find out more.
2021 saw Waterloo Uncovered build off the successes and innovations in virtual veteran support developed in 2020. This year, we ran a record four programmes, including brand new online courses exploring conflict archaeology and the Battle of Waterloo through the lens of Creative Arts and Finds.
2021 also saw our first Work Experience Programme participant successfully graduate from the programme, international press coverage, engaging in-person and virtual events and fundraisers, and much more. Read our Impact Report, a comprehensive summary of our work and impact in 2021, to find out more.
2020 was a difficult year for Waterloo Uncovered, as it was for people all around the world. Unfortunately, the global pandemic meant the cancellation of our annual excavation in Belgium. As a result, the team had to work hard and think creatively to adapt to the evolving situation, in order to continue providing much needed support to those who had served their country.
As a result, the Virtual Programme was created: an online block of educational content and friendly discussions, embedded within a wider programme of welfare support. Read about our first Virtual Programme, the engaging online lecture series we launched over the summer, how we celebrated the 205th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo and much more in our 2020 Impact Report.
2019 was one of Waterloo Uncovered's most successful years to date. Over the summer, 50 British and Dutch veterans and serving personnel took part in our excavation in Belgium, alongside a team of archaeologists led by Professor Tony Pollard, Director of the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow.
Here, the team uncovered more than 800 finds, including items of uniform from British Guardsmen, large numbers of musket and cannon balls from the fierce fighting, and grim evidence of the work of the surgeons in the Allied Field Hospital, in the form of amputated limbs from the struggle to save lives. Evaluation shows that 81% of personal goals set by participants were met "in full, or mostly". In addition, a scale to measure mental wellbeing, developed by the Universities of Warwick and Edinburgh, revealed an average improvement of nearly 30% in the short term, with an improvement of 20% sustained at the end of the nine-month programme.
