Heritage Trust Network was given a boost recently by the announcement of new funding from Pilgrim Trust.
Throughout the UK people in local communities are coming together to save the buildings they love and ensure they are re-used for the benefit of local people. Community-led heritage regeneration takes many forms from larger building preservation trusts working on several projects, to small community organisations that do not have ‘heritage’ in their aims, but are operating from, and learning to love, historic buildings. Heritage Trust Network is the membership body that brings these organisations together and helps them learn from each other.
As the Network has grown and widened its scope, it has created more demand for support for small and medium sized community-led heritage organisations rescuing and managing historic sites. The Essential Networks project will ensure the Network can meet that challenge. The project is a major development and resilience project for the Network and its members and represents the next step in the Network’s growth and transformation. The project is currently in its development phase where the emphasis is on:
- Improving and expanding the Network’s support to community heritage organisations through advice, learning and networking
- Reaching out to support other community organisations operating from historic buildings
- Demonstrating Network members’ impact on heritage, places, the economy and well being
- Making the Network more resilient in the long term, particularly by growing our earned income
This will be followed by a delivery phase over the following five years.
Pilgrim Trust joins the National Lottery Heritage Fund in supporting Essential Networks. Specifically the Pilgrim Trust’s contribution of £40,000 will provide match funding for the development phase, help ensure continuity between development and delivery phases and allow the Network to pilot offering small grants to its members.
Network Chief Executive, David Tittle, said: “As I go around the country meeting our members, I am blown away by the incredible work they do and the benefits the bring to their communities. Our challenge as a small staff team is to provide the best possible support we can to these local heroes, working smartly using digital technology while retaining the fun and friendly approach that members value.
We are very pleased to have this support from Pilgrim Trust. It completes the jigsaw of funding for this vital year of research and development for the Network and will ensure we can continue to support community-led heritage organisations this year and throughout 2024. Pilgrim Trust have been a key supporter of the Network in the past and have also supported a number of our members with their projects. We are really glad to continue the partnership.”
