Expert Panel

A group of people sit around a table, they are all involved in a discussion and look engaged.

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new initiative, Expert Panel and our Organisational Health Checks. This formalises the more complex casework queries submitted by our members, ensuring that our members receive detailed and specialised advice via our new Expert Panel. This panel will provide expert advice to member organisations on specialised casework queries, as well as assist members looking to improve their ‘organisational health’, whether that involves improving financial, legal, and/or strategic organisational directions.

Practical support and advice from people who understand the heritage sector

The Heritage Network’s Expert Panel is a group of experienced individuals available to support member organisations with a range of needs—from strategic planning to tackling day-to-day challenges.

Thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland, this new approach helps us offer specialist, structured support to community heritage organisations where it’s most needed.

How does the Expert Panel work?

For Expert Panellists:

Expert Panellists help the Network in –

Responding to complex or technical member queries

Providing short-term mentoring and organisational development

Carrying out our “Organisational Health Checks”

Facilitating discussions or supporting events

Contributing to funded projects led by the Network

All Panel members are individuals with a strong working knowledge of the heritage sector and relevant experience. They are selected and managed by the Network to ensure the right skills are matched to the right tasks.

Please read our information sheet for prospective Expert Panel members.

Download the Word Document or open the PDF.

A questionnaire to apply to the Expert Panel will be released and linked here in the coming weeks. If interested in becoming an Expert Panellist, please complete the questionnaire and then a member of the Heritage Network team will be in touch with you.

For Heritage Network members:

When you need help with your project, the Heritage Network team can assess your needs, open a ‘Case’, and suggest appropriate support. This is something we have done for our members for years.

If you’re a Network or Network Plus member, more complex or technical queries might require the help and advice of our Expert Panel.

A panellist from the Expert Panel will be invited to give dedicated, specific support (typically around half a day’s work) to a Heritage Network member in need.

Our Expert Panel is carefully chosen, so that our members are supported by trusted specialists with a range of experience and expertise.

You won’t be expected to approach panel members directly – we’ll manage the process and find the information and support you need.

Sometimes we’ll invite you to complete an “Organisational Health Check” with us. This is where we’ll guide you through a more holistic look at your organisation, project and progress, leading to identified, actionable steps for moving forwards.

Members will be identified for support by Heritage Network staff, if their requests for support are deemed to qualify for Expert Panel help. If you are identified for help, we will send any further information you need to know about the panel and the process.

Can you give me an example of when the Expert Panel might be used?

Yes. A Network Member is planning to take on a long-term lease of a listed building from a local authority. The building is at risk and deteriorating quickly, but the trust is seeking funding to carry out urgent repairs and eventually deliver a mixed-use community and enterprise hub. The local authority is offering a 99-year peppercorn lease—but the terms are vague and include restrictive clauses around alterations and use. Potential funders are requesting clarity on tenure and risk, but the trust lacks in-house legal and property expertise.

How the Expert Panel could help:

The Heritage Network team reviews the Member’s ‘Case’ and assigns a member of the Expert Panel with experience in property law and heritage asset transfer.

The panel member reviews the draft lease, identifies areas of concern (e.g. repair obligations, subletting restrictions, clauses around listed building consent), and explains the implications in plain terms.

They also flag what funders typically look for in terms of security of tenure and risk-sharing with public bodies.

The panel member suggests possible lease revisions that support both parties’ objectives.

As a result, the trust secures a revised lease with clearer terms on liabilities and more flexibility for future use. This unlocks progress with the funding application and gives their Board of Trustees confidence to proceed, knowing the risks are better understood and managed.