Friday 15 January 2021

Updates from The Heritage Alliance

Notice of changes to Update

You may notice that Heritage Update looks a little different this week. That's because we're trying out some new features before we launch our final 'new look' Update this Spring! We are still exploring and improving the new look and will be seeking views at a later stage.

Advertise your news, jobs, courses & events with us!

We have been working to simplify the process of advertising in Heritage Update for both non-members and members of The Heritage Alliance. All you need to do is fill out our new advertiser's form. Members of the Alliance can advertise for free, and non-members can place an advert for £165 per issue. It is important to note our copy deadlines, which are always listed at the bottom of each issue.

Key things to look out for in 2021:

• The launch of our new vision & organisational strategy
• New website & refreshed Heritage Update
• The Inclusion & Diversity Project - following on from our 2018 Heritage Debate
• Our 2021 Heritage Day
• More support from the Rebuilding Heritage and Heritage Digital, our Heritage Lottery Funded Programmes

Heritage Day 2021 and AGM - Change of Dates

As we have entered this new lockdown, we are seeing the effects on our sector, including further furloughing, and staff of our member organisations having stretched capacity with home-schooling, isolating and the need to create forward business planning to reopen. We have, therefore, made the decision to move Heritage Day back a little, which has been warmly welcomed by our speakers and presenters. Alongside this movement, we are decoupling the AGM from Heritage Day. The AGM will still be held on the 11 February 2021, 12-13.00 and members will receive an email shortly about information for booking on.

The new dates are:

AGM (for Heritage Alliance members only)

11th February, 12.00-13.00.

Heritage Day

24th March – 10.00-13.00
25th March – 10.00-13.00

Policy Updates

This week:

• We've submitted our Budget Representation (ahead of the Spring Budget on 3 March). You can catch up on our Fiscal and Funding Priorities for heritage here. 
• Our CEO Lizzie attended the Heritage Working Group this week, where the main topic of discussion was the impact of the latest lockdown and support for sector recovery.
• Our Spatial Planning Advocacy Group (SPAG - sponsored by CiFA) met on Wednesday to discuss on-going concerns from the sector around proposed changes to the planning system and the regeneration of historic places, and our future advocacy work in this space.
• We continue to update our COVID-19 Guidance Hub and our Brexit Hub, where we compile the latest guidance for the heritage sector.

Welcome to the Alliance

We are delighted to welcome Europa Nostra as the newest Member of the Heritage Alliance in this edition

Europa Nostra is the pan-European federation of heritage NGOs and the leading citizens' movement to protect and celebrate Europe's cultural and natural heritage. Europa Nostra UK is an independent UK-based charity that acts in support of Europa Nostra.

The aims of Europa Nostra UK are:

• to nurture enthusiasm for our shared European cultural heritage;
• to articulate the values and ideas that connect us to our colleagues in Europe;
• to raise the profile of EN UK in order to support Europa Nostra’s Europe-wide representation;
• to foster links and co-operation with other European heritage bodies in civil society and beyond;
• to sustain UK participation in shaping European heritage policy and vice versa.

Heritage Digital - coming up

The National Lottery Heritage Funded Heritage Digital project is running two webinars on the impact of Brexit on heritage organisations:

Data Protection - 26/01/21. Submit your questions by 19th January for an in-depth response by Naomi Korn Associates here.

Intellectual Property Rights - 02/02/21. Submit your questions by 26th January for an in-depth response by Naomi Korn Associates.

These will be followed up in the spring with two guides distilling what you need to know. We’ll be releasing details about our series of video creation workshops in the coming weeks – sign up to the project mailing list to be kept informed.

Have a great example of digital skill use? Want to share your knowledge? Write a short case study!

The Heritage Digital portal is looking for more case studies of great digital skill use from across the sector. We are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has implemented a new CRM or who have begun a new social media channel (we are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has implemented Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok). Get in touch.

Legal advice now available through Rebuilding Heritage

Applications reopen today for 121 support and group training. New to this round, the team have expanded the offer to include legal assistance, thanks to a collaboration with leading charity law experts Bates Wells. Applications are submitted through the website, the deadline is 11pm on the 2nd February and successful applicants will receive support through March and April. Full details of all the support offers are on the programme website.

Actions for wellbeing

Join the Rebuilding Heritage team at their upcoming events to find out how you can make a difference in your organisation or business. Wellbeing at Work on the 21st January will provide tools and information to help you understand how to implement good practice for your staff and volunteers, and the Wellbeing Gym on the 28th January will explore practical activities for individuals. Booking is now open.

Government News

Headlines:

• National Lockdown Guidance

• Upcoming Budget - 3 March 2021

• Culture Recovery Fund Grants Round 2 - now open

• Updated Brexit Guidance for Arts & Heritage

• PM commits to finance support for nature

COVID-19

National Lockdown: Guidance for Heritage

The new National Lockdown in England has means that many heritage venues and businesses have been required to close. 

This lockdown has similar implications for heritage as it did in March last year, although it includes some welcome changes, including outdoor attractions, such as gardens and grounds of heritage sites, are recognised as important for exercise and can therefore remain open. Government guidance suggests this should be limited to once per day, for exercise not leisure, and people should not travel outside their local area. The new rules also state:

• Volunteering: people are allowed to leave their homes to provide voluntary or charitable services if they cannot ‘reasonably’ do so from home.
• Education: nurseries and early year childcare remains open, but schools are closed until half term.
• Places of worship: places of worship can remain open for services, but these places must be used safely in line with the guidance and the new ‘stay at home’ guidance applies.
• Exemptions: some businesses and places that are required to close will be permitted to be open for a small number of exempt activities. These activities include education and training (for schools), training and rehearsal without an audience (in theatres and concert halls) and filming for film and TV. A full list of exemptions can be found here.
• The Government has also announced that all people travelling to the UK will now have to undertake pre-departure testing.

More information is available here and the full guidance document can be read here. You might also like to check our Covid-19 Guidance Hub.

The latest guidance includes:

• Heritage Locations Guidance (updated)
• Visitor Economy Guidance for hotels, guest accommodation and indoor/outdoor attractions (updated)
• Waterways Guidance for England (updated)
• The guidance for employers on implementing Test and Trace in the workplace (amended to include an updated definition as to what constitutes a close contact)

Further Support for Businesses

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced further support for businesses in the form of new Lockdown Grants. Businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure that have been required to close due to the lockdown restrictions will be able to claim for a one-off grant of up to £9,000 from a pot of £4.6 billion. 

Businesses that are not eligible for the grants can instead apply to their Local Authorities, which have been boosted by funding from this pot, along with the Devolved Administrations.

AIM [Alliance Member] has updated its coronavirus webpages with further information on these grants.

Concern Over the Safety of London Places of Worship

The Mayor of London has called for places of worship to close given rising concerns over the risks of COVID-19 infection. Some places of worship have already started to close their doors to help tackle the crisis. The government has not said that places of worship should shut, but you can see you can see their guidance on using these spaces safely here.

Culture Recovery Fund - Round 2

The application portal has opened for the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage through the National Lottery Heritage Fund [Alliance Member]. The deadline for the online form is 2 pm on 26 January. It is important to read the guidance and application questions ahead of making an application. Applicants to this fund must also submit a Business Action Plan and a Cost Breakdown - you can find the correct templates here. 

Accredited museums or museums working towards accreditation should apply through Arts Council England. Further guidance is available here. The deadline for the online form is 12 pm on 26 January. Please note, you must create an applicant profile on ACE’s app portal Grantium and submit it for validation by Thursday 21 January.

The Church of England and Church Buildings Division have produced specific guidance on the second round of the Fund for churches.

The BFI also launched Round 2 of grants for independent cinemas this week, which are open until 1 February.

Also note:

• The repayable finance element of the Fund is now closed to applications;
• The fund is open to both profit and non-profit cultural organisations in England;
• You do not need to be a previous grantee of The National Lottery Heritage Fund to apply;
• If you applied to the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and were unsuccessful, you can still apply to this programme.

Continued Impacts on the Cultural Sector

According to new statistics from the ONS, the hospitality, retail and wholesale, manufacturing and cultural sectors have been the worst hit in terms of unemployment. The figures show 297,000 fewer people on the company payroll in the hospitality sector since February and 89,000 fewer for the cultural sector.

Community Life COVID-19 Re-contact Survey Findings

DCMS commissioned the Community Life COVID-19 Re-contact Survey (CLRS) to provide data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected volunteering, charitable giving, social cohesion, wellbeing and loneliness in England. You can read the release here that focuses on findings about formal and informal volunteering.

Job Retention Scheme

A reminder that both furlough schemes and various loan schemes have been extended - the CJRS until end the of April and the Bounce Back loan scheme until end of March.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has also been updated to inform employers that they do not need to be facing a wider reduction in demand, or be closed, to be eligible to claim for employees who are clinically extremely vulnerable or at the highest risk of severe illness from coronavirus.

Dormant Assets Scheme Extended

The Government has announced a financial boost to coronavirus recovery through expansion of Dormant Assets Scheme.

Brexit

Agreements were reached between the United Kingdom and the European Union on 24 Dec 2020, which came into effect at the end of the transition period on 1 January 2021. A summary of the agreements can be read here and the Prime Minister’s statement can be read here.

Our CEO Lizzie attended the Heritage Council before Christmas, which focused on Brexit preparations. DCMS also held a webinar last week on the UK-EU Trade Agreement Outcome, which covered topics including the Movement of Goods, business travel to the EU, EEA and Switzerland and on agreements around specialist hauliers.

The Historic Environment Forum (HEF) is seeking case studies on how organisations prepared for the end of the transition period, and what kind of impacts they are expecting on their work. If you want to contribute, please contact Francesca Benetti at HEFsteering@theheritagealliance.org.uk. 

Please also share with us any issues that may be arising for your organisation, for instance around the movement of materials.  And do see details of the upcoming webinars from our National Heritage Lottery Fund supported digital skills project Heritage Digital, which will be covering key implications of Brexit for heritage.

We will continue to update our Brexit Hub to keep the sector updated with all the latest rules and guidance.

Guidance and Resources

• Guidance for DCMS sectors on EU exit (now broken down into clearer sections)
• Guidance for arts and heritage sectors (updated)
• The Government has put in place a new ‘Brexit checker’ for individuals and organisations to check new rules and what will affect them
• Guidance on the taxes and tariffs that might apply to EU businesses trading with the UK from 1 January 2021
• Statement of Changes to the Immigration rules (31/12/2020)
• The Border Operating model (updated)
• Memorandum of understanding: Common Travel Area healthcare arrangements between the UK/Northern Ireland and Ireland (updated)
• Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU from 1 January 2021 (17/12/2020)
• Healthcare for EU citizens living in or moving to the UK from 1 January 2021 (17/12/2020)
• 2025 UK Border Strategy (17/12/2020)
• Ongoing customs movements and procedures at the end of the transition period (17/12/2020)

Import Licenses

The UK has rejected new import licensing regulations for cultural property, introduced by the EU. The new rules, which come into effect from 2025, are aimed at preventing crime, but could also restrict the trade of cultural objects.

Updated Guidance on Visas

The Home Office guidance on visas has been updated to enable businesses to allow people they are sponsoring to come to the UK (under specific routes) to start work before their visa application has been decided.

This is allowed for businesses sponsoring workers coming in through the following routes:

• Skilled Worker visa
• Health and Care Worker visa
• Intra-company Transfer visa
• T2 Worker visas
• T5 Temporary Worker visas

And they may be able to start work before their visa application has been decided if:

• The business has assigned them a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) and either:
  • they are applying under the Health and Care visa
  • their CoS was assigned before 1 January 2021
• the employee submitted their application before their current visa expired
• the role they are employed in is the same as the one on their CoS

Intellectual Property Rights

The government has published a notice with information on retaining protection in the UK for EU Intellectual Property rights. It also contains information on UK registration numbers for the equivalent rights, registered designs, opting out of a Comparable UK registration, and renewing a UK right. You can read it here.

Movement Assistance Scheme Launch

The Government has launched new support for traders and businesses to help them met new requirements for moving animals, plants and associated products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after the transition period. Further guidance on the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS) can be found here.

In Other News

Budget

Before Christmas, the Chancellor announced that the Government will publish the Budget on 3 March 2021. The Heritage Alliance has submitted a representation highlighted how the budget can support the recovery of the sector.

Plans to trial new uses of 5G to improve people’s lives

DCMS has recently announced that a joint investment from government and businesses will fund nine UK-wide projects which will trial new uses of 5G, which are aimed at improving people's lives and help "build back better" from the COVID-19 pandemic. The trials will include projects to support the tourism sector and the construction industry.

Prime Minister commits £3bn UK climate finance to supporting nature

The Prime Minister announced on Monday that the UK will commit at least £3bn to solutions that protect and restore nature and biodiversity over five years. This will be part of the UK's commitment of £11.6bn for international climate finance.

Sector Digest

Read on for a breakdown of the latest news from across the sector.

Heritage Honours

Congratulations to all those honoured in the New Year’s Honours list for services to heritage. Among the awardees were the Heritage Alliance 2019 Heritage Hero, Stephen de Silva, who has received an MBE and an OBE for Ben Cowell, Director General of Historic Houses and outgoing Heritage Alliance Deputy Chair, for services to Cultural Heritage, particularly during the Covid-19 response.

Other professionals from Alliance member organisations were also recognised, including:

• Tracey Reed, lately Director, Historic Properties, English Heritage (OBE)
• Sarah Robinson, Deputy CEO of the Churches Conservation Trust (OBE)
• Tiger de Souza, Volunteering and Inclusion Director, National Trust (MBE)

Other friends and colleagues of the Alliance such as Ian Lush, Andrew Miller, Stephen Deuchar, Andy Savage, Richard Osgood, Andrew Thompson, Lizzie Crump and Moira Sinclair were also recognised.

Alliance Member News

A snapshot of the current work of our members.

Consultations

Open Consultations

• Review of Post-16 Qualifications at Level 3 (second stage) - 15 January
• Proposed Changes to SSSI Condition Reporting - 18 January
• HM Treasury - Future Regulatory Framework (FRF) Review - 19 January
• Supporting Housing Delivery and Public Service Infrastructure - 28 January
• ‘Conservation, Places and People’ APPG Call for Evidence on 'Regeneration Of Historic Places' - 29 January 
• HE Call for Evidence: Current Understand of Heritage Threats and Future Opportunities - 15 February
• Future of Transport: Rural Strategy - 16 February 
• HM Treasury VAT and the Sharing Economy: call for evidence - 3 March
• Green Paper: Transforming public procurement - 10 March

Events

Upcoming Heritage Events - Quick Look

• 21 January: Climate Change and Historic Places - Part 2, Historic Towns and Villages Forum
• 25 January: The London Town House of Mary, Duchess of Norfolk, Georgian Group
• 26 January: Brexit, Data Protection and Heritage: What you need to know, Naomi Korn
• 26 January: Highgate Cemetery Through Victorian Eyes, The Victorian Society
• 27 January - 12 February: Thames Historic Places Lecture Series
• 1 February: Ten Birmingham Women, The Victorian Society
• 2 February: Property Rights and Heritage: What you need to know, Naomi Korn
• 2 February: Huguenot Refugee Art and Culture, Georgian Group
• 10 February: The Architecture of Sir Ernest George: The Larger Country Houses, The Victorian Society
• 11 February: Heritage Alliance AGM
• 17 February: W.H. Crossland, The Victorian Society
• 23 February, Refashioning Gothic: the Architecture of Temple Moore, The Victorian Society
• 2 March: Hidden Horticulturists, Georgian Group
• 2 March: A.W.N. Pugin and the Country House, The Victorian Society
• 4 March: From Granby Four Streets to Spitalfields: community led regeneration, SPAB online lecture
• 9 March: Marble Hill: A garden of grottos and groves, Georgian Group
• 9 March: John Francis Bentley by Peter Howell, The Victorian Society
• 10 March: The Historic Religious Buildings Alliance Big Update
• 11 March: Transforming Places: Revitalising historic high streets, SPAB
• 13 March: Understanding Your Old House Course, SPAB Course, London
• 16 March: William Kent: Garden Designer, Architect, Interior Designer, Georgian Group
• 17 March: A Jewish Jesus: Art and Faith in the Shadow of WWII, St John's Waterloo
• 17 March: William Leiper’s Distinctive Eclecticism by Simon Green, The Victorian Society
• 18 March, Brixton Windmill: from building at risk to revival, SPAB
• 23 and 24 March -  Heritage Day 10.00-13.00 (Save the Date!)
• 23 March: Vauxhall, Sex and Entertainment: The Invention of the Urban Pleasure Garden, Georgian Group
• 23 March: G.F. Bodley and William Morris by Michael Hall, The Victorian Society
• 25 March: National Federation of Builders: Heritage Conference, Wentworth Woodhouse
• 25 March: A Marriage of Minds: John Betjeman and John Piper, SPAB evening lecture, London
• 30 March: Welsh Gardens and the Grand Tour, Georgian Group
• 6 April: Follies: An Architectural Journey , Georgian Group
• 13 April: The English Landscape Revolution, Georgian Group
• 19 April: Permeability and the Picturesque: British Country Houses at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century, Georgian Group
• 21-23 April: CIfA Online Annual Conference, CIfA
• 24 April: Sketching with Thread, SPAB Workshop, London
• 27 April: Tour of St Anne's Church, Limehouse, SPAB event, London
• 2 May: AoHE Extra Ordinary Motor Gathering 'OMG'
• 4 May: Sir John Soane's Fascination with Napoleon Bonaparte, Georgian Group
• 13 May: Construction Summit Conference and The Construction Awards of Excellence, Chelsea Harbour Hotel, London
• 15 June: Brighton's Development as a Seaside Resort between c.1750 and 1830 - Causes and Consequences, Georgian Group 

Jobs

Notes & Subscriptions

The voice of the independent heritage movement, Heritage Update is a free e-bulletin produced on a fortnightly basis by The Heritage Alliance.

Advertise in Heritage Update

Heritage Update now reaches some 14,000 inboxes and is Tweeted to over 21k Twitter followers as well as shared on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Advertising vacancies in Update is free to Alliance members and costs £165 per ad per issue to non-members. We also welcome image-based advertising on our side-bar for academic courses, projects and services of interest to the sector. More information about advertising can be found on our website.

Schedule of forthcoming issues:

• Issue 435 – Fri 29 Jan (content deadline: Fri 22 Jan)
• Issue 436 – Fri 12 Feb (content deadline: Fri 5 Feb)
• Issue 437 – Fri 26 Feb (content deadline: Fri 19 Feb)
• Issue 438 – Fri 12 March (content deadline: Fri 5 March)
• Issue 439 – Fri 26 March (content deadline: Fri 19 March)

If you wish to use or quote from items in Heritage Update, you should always check the accuracy and current position with the source. The Heritage Alliance cannot guarantee the accuracy of (or accept any responsibility for) the contents of Update.

Become a Sponsor for Heritage Update

As we work to improve Heritage Update as an important resource for the sector, we are currently developing sponsorship packages for the new and improved Heritage Update.

Sponsors of Heritage Update receive a package of benefits including having their name and logo displayed on our website, having their logo displayed at the top of each issue of Heritage Update, and receiving recognition for their contribution to the sector in our communications about the newsletter.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of Heritage Update, please email development@theheritagealliance.org.uk.

Support The Heritage Alliance

A donation to The Heritage Alliance will help us to champion, inspire, catalyse and support the independent heritage sector. Thank you.

Contact Us

Chief Executive
Lizzie Glithero-West [Mon-Thurs]
lizzie.glithero-west@theheritagealliance.org.uk

Head of Policy & Communications
Hannah Shimko 0207 233 0700
policy@theheritagealliance.org.uk

Advocacy & Communications Officer [Mon, Tues & Wed] Update Contact
Daniella Briscoe-Peaple 0207 233 0800
comms@theheritagealliance.org.uk

Advocacy & Communications Officer [Mon, Thurs & Fri] Update Contact
Katie Ramsey 0207 233 0800
commssupport@theheritagealliance.org.uk

Development & Membership Manager
Delphine Jasmin-Belisle 0207 233 0600
development@theheritagealliance.org.uk

A full list of our staff contact information can be found on our website here.

Unsubscribe?

To opt out, scroll to the very end of this email and click 'Unsubscribe'.

Heritage Update is produced by The Heritage Alliance, with thanks to our generous sponsors the Historic Houses Foundation.

Image credits (in order of appearance): The Landmark Trust; Waterloo Uncovered; English Heritage; The Ragged School Museum; Heritage Open Days, The SPAB, National Historic Ships UK.