Heritage Trust Network has been awarded a £1,364,588 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a major development and resilience project to transform the Network’s ability to empower people to rescue and reuse historic buildings and spaces for the benefit of their communities
Through the Essential Networks project, we aim to empower thousands of people, from a wide range of backgrounds, throughout the UK to come together to rescue and reuse historic sites for the benefit of their communities. We want to take Heritage Trust Network (rebranded as Heritage Network) to the next level of effectiveness and resilience with the staff team, digital infrastructure and financial sustainability it needs to:
- provide a comprehensive programme of support, expertise, information, peer-learning and networking for all those working on local heritage regeneration.
- effectively celebrate, support and promote the importance of community-led heritage for sustainable regeneration.
- develop complementary networks of supportive businesses, local authorities and individuals.
- enable young people to participate fully in the community heritage sector.
The legacy will be hundreds more community organisations successfully saving and re-using the buildings and spaces their communities love and a resilient Network able to develop this work into the next decade.
The National Lottery funded project will enable the Network to develop a new member portal and website creating a single place for community heritage organisations to interact with the Network, access information and advice, renew memberships and book events. Initiatives, such as learning programmes, organisational health checks and an expert panel will provide new ways for community heritage organisation to become more effective and resilient. Outreach to marginalised communities will make the community heritage sector more diverse and inclusive. The grant will enable new posts to be recruited including a communications role to co-ordinate the Network’s delivery of information and advice to members and the wider community heritage sector. New Development and Outreach Officers in Northern Ireland and Wales will work with communities to make the most of the buildings and spaces they love. Regular Heritage Traineeships will provide opportunities for young people to enter the sector whilst strengthening the Networks work with young people through its Youth Forum, Digital Heroes volunteering initiative and promotion of young trustees.
In the long-term, a new Business Development post will strengthen the Network’s financial resilience enabling it to be less dependent on grant funding in the future.
Beverley Gormley, Programme Manager at Heritage Trust Network, who will be leading the project said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we can take our vital work to the next level and provide vital support to communities to make the most of their heritage assets.”
