Friday 2 July 2021

Updates from The Heritage Alliance

Become the Next Chair of Our Board of Trustees

We are looking for a Chair to lead The Heritage Alliance Board of Trustees and staff from Autumn 2021. The Chair is an important public face of The Heritage Alliance, representing its members in a range of forums and to key decision-makers and influencers in politics and Government. The Chair will work closely with the Chief Executive (Lizzie Glithero-West) to support the smooth running of the organisation.

Please see the 'vacancies' section towards the end of this issue of Heritage Update for further details of the role and how to apply.

Guest Editors for This Issue

As we mentioned in the previous issue, last week Hannah, Daniella and Faridah, who make up our Policy and Communications team, were joined by two interns on a one-week placement from the University of Oxford [Alliance member], Sophie Roland and Benjamin Crowther. Felicia Rankl has also joined our team on a 4-week placement from the University.

They each wrote lovely tweets introducing themselves and their interest in heritage, which can be read here; Ben put together a mini campaign for #WorldWellbeingWeek based on recommendations from our Heritage Health and Wellbeing report, and they also all contributed to writing copy for this fortnight's issue of Heritage Update.

How to Share Your Content in Heritage Update

The editor of Heritage Update (Daniella, Advocacy & Communications Officer at The Heritage Alliance) has created a new step-by-step guide that sets out how organisations can share news, courses, vacancies and events in Heritage Update. 

Remember: members of The Heritage Alliance can share their content for free, while non-members pay £165 per item. And please be aware that we now *only* accept content that is sent through our new advertiser's form - so be sure to follow the instructions.

If you have any questions about sharing your content in Heritage Update, please contact Daniella.

Remembering Peter Ainsworth

We have set up a memorial Padlet board for people across the sector to share their thoughts about our former Chair, the late Peter Ainsworth, to be shared with his family. Please do feel free to view the messages and contribute if you would like.

Policy Updates

This fortnight:

• There was an oversubscription to co-sponsor our Environment Bill amendments, tabled by Lord Redesdale, in the House of Lords. We have been following the progression of the Bill through the Committee Stage and some of our proposed amendments have already been subject to debate and supported by a number of Lords.  Read more on this below, under 'Government news'.

• Our Rural Heritage Advocacy Group (RHAG) discussed our success in getting House of Lords support on the Environment Bill, (which included dissemination of a briefing), the upcoming Planning Bill, and the future Environment Land Management Scheme.

• Our Funding and Investment Advocacy Group (FIAG) met to discuss a future direction for the group and heard from Adala Leeson (Head of Socio-Economic Analysis and Evaluation, Historic England) and Jack Phillips, (Economic Advisor, DCMS) on the progress of Cultural Heritage Capital.

• Our CEO Lizzie also convened a meeting of archaeological members with the DCMS Cultural Heritage Capital team to begin a dialogue on definitions, data and value.

• We held a special meeting for the Mobile Heritage Advocacy Group (MHAG) to discuss the impact of climate change and associated legislation on the use of heritage fuels, such as coal, diesel and petrol.

• Next week, Lizzie will be meeting with Housing Minister, Chris Pincher, along with a group of organisations focussed on the environment, convened by CPRE, to discuss planning.

Members' Roundtable - Cultural Placemaking & Heritage-led Regeneration

From the Levelling-Up Fund to High Streets Heritage Action Zones, Community Renewal Fund, Cultural Development Fund and the Heritage Fund’s Priorities for National Lottery Grants for Heritage for 2021-22, there is now a huge opportunity for heritage sites - especially when working together with the cultural and creative sector on activation initiatives.

Join us for this member’s roundtable and explore some of the key questions and issues involved.

Members of The Heritage Alliance can join this upcoming roundtable on Thursday 15 July, 3-4.30pm, led by Jason Jones-Hall, Director of Five10Twelve [Alliance Member], who specialise in creative, cultural, digital and heritage-led innovation, placemaking and regeneration. You can learn more about their current project: Pioneering Places - the largest of the UK’s Great Place schemes.

Heritage Alliance members will receive an invitation directly from the Head of Membership to take part in the coming days.

Want to know more about how to become a member? Visit our website or contact our Head of Development & Membership Delphine for an initial chat. If you are a member and have not received an invitation by 7 July, please contact Delphine.

Heritage Digital Sector Survey - Share Your Views

The Heritage Digital programme, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to improve the skills of Heritage organisations across the UK, and to support their ongoing sustainability and efficiency. 

Later this Summer, the Heritage Digital team (The Heritage Alliance, DOT PROJECT, Charity Digital, Media Trust and Naomi Korn Associates) will be launching a suite of digital training programmes and online learning resources aimed at up-skilling the sector in everything from taking a strategic approach to digital, to social media content development and digital legal requirements. These will benefit organisations of all sizes and digital skill levels.

We’re asking sector organisations to help shape these resources and training modules by completing this survey before 9am Monday 19 July. The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. 

#HeritageChat

Join us on Tuesday 20 July (1 - 2pm) to discuss ‘Industrial Heritage’ in the next #HeritageChat. If you want to see a specific question discussed, please add it here by 12th July 2021.

We will publish the questions that will be asked at the next #HeritageChat in advance - here on our website, and we will also pin them to the @HeritageChat Twitter profile.

If you would like to suggest a topic for one of the next #HeritageChats please get in touch - you can lead the chat or we can lead it for you! You can save the slot in your diary for the next #HeritageChats by downloading our schedulers for Outlook and Google calendar.

Benefit from Membership with The Heritage Alliance

Did you know that members of The Heritage Alliance can benefit from a series of free offers, as well as sharing their content for free in Heritage Update?

The following offers are currently available to our members, offered by organisations within our membership that support heritage organisations across a range of areas through their work:

• Free legal calls from our legal partner Bates Wells

• Free fundraising advice sessions from Alliance member The Philanthropy Company

• Free 1:1 calls on project management and re-casting from our sponsor Tricolor Associates

• Free consultation from immersive technology specialist Arcade

• Free monthly updates on copyright from Naomi Korn Associates

To book any of these sessions, or to discuss membership with us more generally, please contact our Head of Development and Membership Delphine.

Heritage Digital: new virtual event on Digital Storytelling

Read on for an update on our National Lottery Heritage Fund supported digital skills programme.

• #HeritageDigitalNow – Digital Storytelling 14 July

The third Heritage Digital virtual day (and last consortium event of the summer) will be taking place on 14 July. This will be a virtual half-day of webinars and discussion centred around the topic of digital storytelling, and we’re delighted to welcome back popular speakers Andrew Davis and Naomi Korn, and attendees will hear from National Lottery Heritage Fund Director, Ros Kerslake. It’s free, and open to the entire UK heritage sector; book your space here.

• Reusable resources

You may already have used the downloadable guides and templates on the Heritage Digital portal. What you may not know is that all of our project resources are available under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-NC 4.0), which means that you can reuse the material as long as you credit Heritage Digital and don’t use it for commercial purposes.

For any questions on this, contact Project Manager Carmen on heritagedigital@theheritagealliance.org.uk

Sign up to the project mailing list to be the first to know when new releases occur.

After Hours with Rebuilding Heritage:

Join the team on Monday 5 July at 5pm for the next Wellbeing Gym

Wellbeing and resilience coach Steve Wood will be running through practical exercises to help you to manage perfectionism, plan your ideal day, and be more self aware. We know you’re busy, so the session will be starting after hours at 5pm - we hope you can join us! Book here on the website.

Applications are open!

The sixth and final round of 121 consultancy and group training has now reopened. Visit the website to find out more about what’s on offer or sign up to one of our ‘Intro to… Rebuilding Heritage’ sessions to hear directly from the team:

• ‘Intro to… Rebuilding Heritage’ - Mon 12 July, 2pm – 2.30pm - book here
• ‘Intro to… Rebuilding Heritage’ - Wed 14 July, 9.30am – 10am - book here

Government News

Our summary of the latest announcements and guidance for the heritage sector.

Headlines

• CRF 3 - (including Heritage Stimulus Fund - £35 million)

• EU Recognises UK Data Protection Standards

• Weddings Get the Go-Ahead

• New AONBs to Be Created in England

COVID-19

Culture Recovery Fund - Round Three

The Government has now announced the details of the third round of the Culture Recovery Fund. The final £300 million from the package includes £218.5 million in CRF3 Resource Grants, £35 million for the Heritage Stimulus Fund and £20 million for the Cultural Asset Fund. The full breakdown can be read here (under 'notes to editors').

The CRF3 Resource Grants will be available to support organisations that have previously received CRF grants - through the Culture Recovery Fund: Continuity Support programme, or alternatively for those who have not and are at imminent risk of failure, through the Culture Recovery Fund: Emergency Resource Support programme. Further details on these will be shared over the Summer.

The Heritage Stimulus Fund is aimed at restarting vital construction and maintenance on heritage sites to preserve visitor attractions, and to provide immediate work for some of the most vulnerable heritage specialists and contractors in the sector.

Overall, this third round of the fund is intended to support organisations as they build towards sustainable recovery. Applications for some parts of this funding will open shortly and guidance is soon to be published on the National Lottery Heritage Fund [Alliance member] and Arts Council England websites.​

Steps Towards Reopening

The sector guidance for the visitor economy, heritage locations, performing arts and hotels and guest accommodation has been updated to reflect changes to Step 3 which have been introduced for the period 21 June – 18 July.

The new Health Secretary Sajid Javid gave a commons statement on Covid-19 on 28 June, in which he said that the Government sees "no reason to go beyond 19 July" for the country to enter step 4 of the roadmap to recovery. He said: "We also know that people and businesses need certainty, so we want every step to be irreversible." However, he warned that "no date we choose comes with zero risk for covid [sic]".

Outdoor Civil Wedding & Partnership Registrations to be Legalised

An amendment being made to the Marriages and Civil Partnerships Act means that as of today, weddings and civil ceremonies will be permitted to take place outside for the first time across England and Wales. This decision offers greater choice to couples and means greater flexibility for heritage organisations to meet demand at their venues and maximise the utilisation of outdoor spaces.

Government Publishes First Events Research Programme Report

DCMS has published a report from the first phase of the Government's Events Research Programme, presenting findings from the pilot events held so far as part of the Programme. The report has found that mitigation measures (such as social distancing at pinch points, face coverings and staggered entry and exit times) can be used to 'reduce and manage risks associated with large events'.  

DCMS also responded to a legal challenge from representatives of theatres and the live music industry who questioned the delay to publishing the data on test events.

Self-Employment Income Support Scheme - Fifth Grant

HMRC has published a policy document outlining the SEISS fifth grant, which will cover the period from May to September this year. Applications for this grant will open from late July 2021 and guidance about claiming the grant will be available from early July.

Guidance

Please continue to check our Covid-19 Hub for the latest guidance for the sector.

The latest guidance includes:

• (COVID-19) Coronavirus restrictions: what you can and cannot do (updated 30 June - Hounslow and Kirklees have been removed from the list of areas where there is an enhanced response to the spread of the Delta variant)
• Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) (updated 22 June)
• Wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, receptions and celebrations (updated 28 June - on risk assessments, social distancing measures, singing and dancing, serving food and drink, and enforcement). See: a how-to guide for risk assessments and an example template to find out how to record these risks
• How to safely plan a wedding or civil partnership, or funeral, wake or commemoration (updated 22 June)
• Kickstart Gateway Plus guidance (updated 18 June with further information about Gateway Plus operators) - and see the new Prospectus for potential employers looking to use the scheme.
• Travelling abroad from England (published 22 June)
• Travelling to England from another country (published 22 June)
• Guidance for Visa Applicants (updated 29 June - the date until which people may apply for 'exceptional assurance' is extended to 30 September)
• Right to Work Guidance (updated as the end date for the temporary adjusted checking processes is now 31 August 2021)
• Deferred VAT Guidance (updated 22 June - details how to pay VAT payments deferred between 20 March and 30 June 2020)
• Coronavirus grant funding: local authority payments to small and medium businesses (updated 21 June)

Social Impacts

ALVA has published Wave 9 of its Attractions Recovery Tracker (drawing on data from 17-22 June 2021). The figures show that there has been an uptick in the number of people willing to visit attractions, although those who are most hesitant still represent around 40% of the market. Although confidence is growing, 60% of people still expressed concerns around visiting, particularly around measures to limit crowds and maintain social distancing.

And indicators from the latest ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (covering the period from 16 to 20 June 2021) again showed an increase in the number of adults meeting up indoors and outdoors with people outside their bubble. Well-being measures among those surveyed have remained relatively stable.

Travel & Tourism

Lords Debate on Tourism

Members of the House of Lords attended a debate on tourism on 24 June, during which they outlined key issues currently facing the tourism sector. A major issue that came out of the debate was around the adequacy of the current measures in place to achieve the Government's targets of rapidly rebuilding domestic tourism back to pre-pandemic levels.

Westminster Hall Debate on Support for Aviation, Tourism & Travel

A Westminster Hall debate on Support for Aviation, Tourism and Travel Industries was also held on 24 June. This debate took forward issues raised during the Travel Day of Action and emphasised the need for Government to do more to support businesses in the sector and the importance of a swift yet safe return to international travel.

Countries on the Red & Green Lists from 30 June

Countries now on the Government's 'Green Watchlist' and 'Red list' for international travel have again shifted, with the new changes coming into effect from 30 June. You can find the full list of red, amber and green list rules here.

And a reminder that:

• DCMS has now published its Tourism Recovery Plan
• The Government is relaunching its GREAT campaign
• Ahead of the Lords Debate on Tourism on 24 June, the Lords Library produced a new tourism briefing on how the sector has been affected by the pandemic and how tourism can be promoted in the UK

Brexit & Immigration

EU Visa Arrangements for Creative Workers

This week, MPs have questioned Cabinet Office Minister Lord Frost on the Government’s failure to reach agreement with the EU on creative workers. This session, held on 29 June (following the cancellation of an earlier appearance by Lord Frost), saw MPs question the lack of free movement for those in the creative sector, despite the significance of the creative industries and its contribution to the economy. Read a summary of statements from Kevin Brennan MP here.

Data Adequacy Between the EU & UK

The EU has now formally recognised the UK's data protection standards. This follows the UK's recognition of EU and EEA member states as 'adequate' under its new, independent data policy. The Government has set out plans to promote the free flow of personal data globally, noting that a free flow of personal data "supports trade, innovation and investment", as well as facilitating crime prevention/tackling and research.

Resources

​The Heritage Alliance Brexit Hub collates the latest Brexit guidance that is relevant to the heritage sector, including on working in Europe, funding and visa requirements - and our sector briefings on Heritage, Brexit and Immigration can be found on our website. We ask all Alliance Members to continue to inform us with their latest questions and concerns. We are particularly interested in detailed case studies of obstacles and issues emerging. Please contact Hannah Shimko on policy@theheritagealliance.org.uk.

And the Historic Environment Forum Brexit FAQs Trello Board continues to be updated with material to help the sector navigate the post-Brexit period.

Planning

Planning Bill Progress

An opposition day debate was held on planning in the House of Commons on 21 June, which focussed on Local Involvement (developers working with local community to shape local areas and local planning decisions), with strong feelings expressed on the topic.

Steve Reed raised that the Government's planning proposals have been criticised by organisations in the sector including the Royal Town Planning Institute, The Town and Country Planning Association, the Countryside Alliance and the National Trust [Alliance member]. The Housing Minister Chris Pincher responded to questions, asserting that the Government's planning reforms "are a sensible set of proposals to address the failures of the English planning system".

The Future of the Planning System in England - Report

A reminder that the Parliamentary Committee on Housing, Communities and Local Government published its first Report on Planning reforms. The report considers the Government’s proposed reforms to the planning system announced in August 2020, and cites a number of points from The Heritage Alliance’s response, including the case for statutory HERs.

Environment & Agriculture

Environment Bill Passes Committee Stage

The Environment Bill entered Committee Stage in the House of Lords on 21 June. Key topics raised during the debate included public accessibility to nature, resource efficiency and biodiversity.

There was an oversubscription to co-sponsor our Environment Bill amendments, tabled by Lord Redesdale, in the House of Lords. We have been following the progression of the Bill through the Committee Stage and some of our proposed amendments have already been subject to debate and supported by a number of Lords.

Lord Redesdale stated that excluding heritage from the definition of the environment of the Bill will have knock-on effects on the funding and monitoring of Heritage in future. These worries were shared by many other Lords, including Lord Cormack, Lord Ingelwood, Lord Blencathra, Lord Carrington, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, the Earl of Devon, Viscount Trenchard, Lord Cameron of Dillington, Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, and Baroness Jones of Whitchurch.

It was reiterated that the Bill in its current state did not support Goal 6 of the Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan to achieve ‘enhanced beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment’. The Earl of Devon also emphasised the importance of preserving Heritage so it could also be enjoyed by future generations.

Government Commits to a 'Nature Positive' Economic Future

HM Treasury has announced that the Government has committed to delivering a 'nature positive future' in response to the Dasgupta Review on The Economics of Biodiversity, which was published earlier this year. The commitment is to ensure that economic and financial decisions are made with a view to leave the environment 'in a better state than we found it.' Details of the Government's plans are set out here.

DEFRA Launches Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme

DEFRA’s new Farming in Protected Landscapes programme offers funding for projects that benefit protected landscapes, including projects that provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand cultural heritage. DEFRA will reimburse the full costs of non-commercial projects and partial costs for commercial projects.

The programme is open to all farmers and land managers in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), National Parks in England, or the Broads - including charities. It will run from July 2021 to March 2024. To be eligible, projects must support the priorities of their local protected landscape body’s management plan.

Agricultural Transition Plan Update Published

DEFRA has published two important documents that provide more information about its environmental land management schemes (ELMs). The Agricultural Transition Plan update provides more detail on the early rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive in 2022, while the Payment Principles document sets out the Government's approach to environmental scheme payments throughout the transition. This includes new ELMs, Countryside Stewardship, and transitional schemes such as Farming in Protected Landscapes.

Creating New AONBs

Natural England has announced proposals for new protected areas across England, including a landscapes programme intended to benefit people and nature. Natural England is considering making the Yorkshire Wolds and the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge new Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and extending the Surrey Hills AONB and the Chilterns AONB. The announcement incorporates the recommendations of an independent review into protected landscapes led by Julian Glover.

Achieving a Healthy Green Recovery Webinar - 6 July

The TCPA, on behalf of Natural England and the Green Infrastructure Partnership is hosting a free Conference on ‘Achieving a Healthy Green Recovery’ on 6 July. 

Net Zero Societal Change Analysis Report

A new report compiled for DEFRA and BEIS identifies the behaviours that are likely to have an impact on the UK’s ability to achieve its net zero target and the policies that are needed to motivate people to adopt these behaviours. The report recommends reducing emissions associated with heating by making buildings more efficient, boosting the use of public transport and zero-emissions vehicles, expanding the availability of low-carbon energy and discouraging electricity wastage, and around consumption: promoting the use of sustainable products and the reduction of waste.

A reminder that:

• DEFRA has published the latest update to the Outcome Indicator Framework (OIF) of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan
• Our latest briefing on the Environment Bill produced with members of our Rural Heritage Advocacy Group (RHAG), which we have shared with interested members in the House of Lords, can be read here.

Education

Skills and Post-16 Education Bill Committee Stage - 6 July

The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill will reach Committee stage in the House of Lords on 6 July. The Bill aims to support reforms to post-16 education. It includes measures that provide for a statutory underpinning for local skills improvement plans, introduces a duty for all further education corporations and functions to enable the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to define and approve new categories of technical qualifications that relate to employer-led standards and occupations in different ways.

New Investment to Boost Higher Technical Education

The Government has launched a new package of funding that is aimed at creating more opportunities for adults to gain higher level technical skills, with funding going to colleges and universities to invest in new equipment that will support technical studies and boost training opportunities with businesses. There is also an aim to provide 'more, high-quality alternatives to university degrees'.

Parliamentary & Other News

£50 Million Infrastructure Upgrade for Research & Innovation

It has been announced that £50 million in funding will be put towards upgrading research and innovation infrastructure in the UK, to further the Government's  aim to 'cement the UK's stats as a science superpower'

Charities Bill Factsheet

The Department for Civil Society and Youth and DCMS have published a Factsheet on The Charities Bill. The Bill will revise the 2011 Charities Act with the intention of reducing the time and resource that charities have to spend on legal work, including around restructure, amending governing documents, disposing of land or carrying out mergers.

New Tool for Planning Shared Parental Leave

BEIS has launched a new tool, aimed at helping expectant parents share time off through Shared Parental leave and check their eligibility and pay entitlement.

Ministry of Justice Specialist Fund

The Ministry of Justice has partnered with Comic Relief to launch a £2 million tech fund offering grants for organisations in England and Wales that support survivors and victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence who are led ‘by/with and for’ communities facing racial inequality, disabled people or LGBTQ+ communities.

This fund aims to help smaller, specialist organisations improve their digital and remote capacity, deliver more services online and grow sustainability. Applications to the Fund close on Tuesday 20 July 2021.

Interpol Launches New App to Identify Stolen Art

Interpol has launched a new free app to help law enforcers, as well as heritage sites that hold collections and private individuals, to identify stolen art. The ID-Art app allows users to check art against 52,000 works registered as stolen on the Interpol database.

Queen's Honours

We congratulate all those awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours Lists 2021, including many for their services to the arts and heritage.

In addition to those we mentioned last week, we also congratulate Sophie Clodagh Mary Blain (Sophie Andreae) for being awarded a CBE for services to heritage. Sophie previously ran SAVE Britain's Heritage [Alliance member], before becoming director of the London Region of English Heritage [Alliance member]. Amongst many other activities, Sophie is an active member of the Steering Group for the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance, part of The Heritage Alliance.

Sector Digest

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

Ecclesiastical Announces Movement for Good Winners

Ecclesiastical [Alliance Corporate Partner] has now begun to release winners of the Movement for Good awards on a daily basis here on their website. The winning charities will each receive £1000 to support their activities. These include the following members of The Heritage Alliance: the Council for British Archaeology and the Churches Conservation Trust.

Steps to Sustainability Round 2 - Applications Open

Applications are now open for Steps to Sustainability Round 2 - an online programme  from The National Lottery Heritage Fund [Alliance member], designed to help heritage organisations to grow sustainability and resilience.

The programme is delivered by the Social Enterprise Academy and is aimed at staff from small to medium heritage organisations in the UK that have an income generating idea but require resources and support to pursue it. The deadline for applications is 23 July and the 8-day course will take place in September.

New Traditional Heritage Skills Apprenticeship Programme

Historic England has announced that it will deliver a £4.325 million, 5-year programme with The Hamish Ogston Foundation to help address long-term and severe heritage skills shortages in the construction sector.

The grant will fund an in-work heritage skills and apprenticeship scheme, with apprentices working alongside Historic England experts at sites in the North of England which are on the Heritage at Risk Register.

They are now recruiting for apprentices for the programme - the full list of opportunities can be found here.

Potential Risk to Stonehenge & Liverpool Heritage in Danger

UNESCO has warned that Stonehenge could be placed on its list of heritage sites in danger unless the plans to build a tunnel within the World Heritage Site (WHS) are modified. The current plans intend to redirect traffic from the road running near the site to a tunnel running beneath it.

The plans were approved by the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, against the advice of a panel of planning inspectors. A judicial review into the lawfulness of the decision is also ongoing.

UNESCO has also recommended in a recent report that due to "inadequate governance processes, mechanisms, and regulations for new developments in and around the World Heritage property", the city of Liverpool should be removed from the World Heritage List. SAVE Britain's Heritage [Alliance member] has written to Oliver Dowden to urge action to avert this significant potential loss.

Stepping Up and Stepping out - a Good Faith Partnership Report

The Good Faith Partnership has launched a report: Stepping Up and Stepping Out: A New Deal Opportunity for Faith Communities, which makes recommendations towards an exciting social covenant between faith communities and the government in the Covid-19 recovery phase.

The report is the result of the Partnership's work with faith leaders and community organisers "to analyse the immense work that faith communities have undertaken to support communities at a most challenging time in our country's history".

Museum Redundancies

The Museum Association’s ‘Redundancy Hub’ has been designed to provide resources and advice for anyone affected by redundancy in the museums sector. According to their June report, 4100 redundancies have been documented across the sector since the beginning of the pandemic. Accounting for 8% of the total sector workforce, the report shows that London and the North of England are amongst the most significantly impacted areas. The job types most impacted include Learning and Development, Front of House, Retail and Catering. The MA is calling for long-term investment and support for the sector.

New Petition to Stop Cuts to Arts Funding

A campaign supported by unions across the cultural sector (University and College Union (UCU), Equity UK, BECTU, Writers Guild of Great Britain, Musicians’ Union, Unison and Unite), has been launched to oppose the proposed Government cuts to funding for creative and performing arts courses at English universities, which they say would have a "devastating impact" on the creative and performing arts - including closures, job losses and a significant decrease in access to these subjects.

Windrush Day Events

The 22 June marked National Windrush Day and across the country 42 projects were supported through a share of £500,000 funding from DCMS, through the 2021 Windrush Grant Scheme. These projects had a particular focus on ‘working with schools and recording the memories and testimonies of the Windrush Generation for the future.’

Chosen by an independent panel made up of community and government representatives, these projects included a recreation of the arrival of MV Empire Windrush at Tilbury with virtual storytelling sessions for children, a showcase of British Caribbean writers and their contribution to children’s literature with digital learning resources for schools in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and performance workshops for children and young people on dub poetry and traditional Jamaican dance in Liverpool.

UKRI Encourages Innovators to Apply for Horizon Europe Funding

UKRI is urging businesses, innovators, and researchers to apply for funding through the EU Horizon Europe programme for a wide range or projects. Horizon Europe is the EU's key funding programme for research and innovation, with a budget of €95.5 billion. Read more about how to access these funding opportunities here.

7 Most Endangered Programme 2022 - Call for Nominations

Europa Nostra has announced a call for nominations for its 7 Most Endangered Programme - a civil society campaign to save Europe's endangered heritage.

They are hosting a free webinar on 7 July on "why and how to submit a nomination" - details for which can be found here.

Tech Nation Launches D&I Toolkit 

Tech Nation (a tech-focused coaching, community-building and content-development company), have launched a new ‘Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit’ that may be of use to organisations across the heritage sector. The toolkit provides a comprehensive guide on diversity challenges specific to tech-organisations, as well as general information on building an effective and impactful Diversity & Inclusion strategy. Created in partnership with leading D&I consultancy firm The Unmistakables, the toolkit includes case studies, practical tools and useful checklists that will aid the reader in making positive change.

Mapping the Intersection of Technology & Creativity

The Creative Industries Council (a joint forum between the UK creative industries and government), in association with Digital Catapult and Moore Kingstone Smith, has published Part 2 of the CreaTech Report 2021. The report aims to explore CreaTech as the intersection of technology and creativity, which is described as representing a movement in the UK economy to "deliver positive, social cultural and environmental impact, as well as economic returns".

Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk

The Adaptation Committee has produced an Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk. The report sets out the priority climate change risks and opportunities for the UK.

Insolvency Rates Jump for Arts & Heritage

The Business Rescue Expert has published new data on insolvency rates across different industries in the past year. The results show that the arts, entertainment and recreation industry has seen its highest five-year increase in insolvencies in 2020, with the rate of insolvencies per 1,000 businesses increasing by 18% between 2016 and 2020.

Alliance Member News

A snapshot of the current work of our members.

Consultations

Open Consultations:

• Home Office - Protect Duty (how the Protect Duty can make the public safer at publicly accessible locations) - 2 July
• DEFRA - Consistency in household and business recycling in England - 4 July
• Historic England - Review of Enhanced Advisory Services (EAS) - 9 July
• DfT - Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011: 2021 review - 12 July
• HMRC - Call for evidence: the tax administration framework: supporting a 21st century tax system - 13 July
• HM Treasury - Residential Property Developer Tax: consultation - 22 July
• CMA - Draft Guidance on the Operation of the CMA’s UK Internal Market Function - 23 July
• DCMS - Shared Rural Network Consultation - 27 July
• HMRC - Call for Evidence: Simplifying the VAT Land Exemption - 3 August 
• BEIS - Review of the Schemes to Compensate Energy Intensive Industries for Indirect Emission Costs in Electricity Prices - 9 August
• Environment Agency - Environmental Permit Competence Requirements: changes to technically competent manager attendance - 9 August
• DEFRA - Direct Payments to Farmers: Lump sum exit scheme and delinked payments in England - 11 August
• HM Treasury - Public Service Pensions: Consultation on the discount rate methodology - 19 August
• HM Treasury - HM Treasury fundamental review of business rates - 24 August
• DfT - Request for evidence on changes to the operator licensing - 24 August

HM Treasury Fundamental Review of Business Rates

The Government committed to conduct a fundamental review of business rates and published the terms of reference for the review at the Spring Budget. HM Treasury is now seeking views on a package of reforms to support the delivery of a revaluations cycle, which forms part of the overall Fundamental Review.

A final report of the Fundamental Review is expected to be published in the Autumn.

Deadline: 24 August 2021

Shared Rural Network Consultation

The Government is working with Mobile Network Operators (EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone) to close gaps in phone coverage in the UK. Its plans for a Shared Rural Network (SRN) will increase connectivity in hard-to-reach areas where there is currently no coverage from any operator. DCMS is keen to hear from those who may be in a position to support the network deployment in key target areas.

Deadline: 27 July 2021

Request for Evidence on Changes to Operator Licensing 

The Department for Transport is calling for views and evidence on upcoming changes to the operator licensing regime, which will affect heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) that engage in international operation and workers that are temporarily posted in EU member states.

The changes will bring vehicles weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes that travel abroad on commercial journeys for hire and reward to an EU member state into the scope of goods operator licensing. The changes to the posting of workers as well as operator licensing will become applicable in February 2022 and May 2022 respectively. 

Deadline: 24 August 2021

Public Service Pensions: Consultation on the discount rate methodology

HM Treasury is consulting on the methodology the Government uses to set the SCAPE discount rate, which is used in the valuation of unfunded public service pension schemes to set employer contribution rates.

Deadline: 19 August 2021

Events

Upcoming Heritage Events - Quick Look

• 5 July: Rebuilding Heritage - Wellbeing Gym 2

• 6 - 7 July: Heritage Volunteering 2021: Recognise, Reconnect, Reimagine, Heritage Volunteering Group

• 7 July: Re-opening World Heritage Sites to New & Existing Audiences, World Heritage UK Webinar

• 7 July: Kibworth Harcourt Mill - online lecture, SPAB

• 8 July: Rebuilding Heritage - What’s the point of you? Clarifying your mission

• 8 - 14 July: Summer Working Party 2021, SPAB, Old House Project and Boxley Abbey, Kent

• 13 July: Georgian Spa Towns, Georgian Group lecture

• 14 July: Heritage Digital Virtual Conference: #HeritageDigitalNow – Digital Storytelling

• 14 July: Repair of Historic Brick Walls Masterclass, SPAB Old House Project, Kent

• 14 July: Part 2 - Transforming Our Practice, Transforming Our World, GEM

• 14 July: Rebuilding Heritage - What’s the point of you? Communicating who you are and what you do

• 19 July: Welsh Country Houses: The East India network in Wales, 1760-1820, Georgian Group lecture

• 19 July: Rebuilding Heritage - People-led: Internal Communications

• 22 July: The Newport Medieval Ship: Challenges of Conservation, Re-assembly & Display, online talk

• 22 July: Rebuilding Heritage - Needs-led: Fundraising for sustainability

• 26 July: Rebuilding Heritage - Digital is not the answer

• 29 July: Rebuilding Heritage - Values-led: Leadership for change

• 7 September: Tour of St Anne's Church, Limehouse, SPAB, London

• 11 September: Leeds Minster: ‘noblest among the noble’ of the early-Victorian churches

• 14 September: The taste for Chinese wallpaper in the British Isles in the long eighteenth century, Georgian Group lecture
• 21 September: Wilton House: the art, architecture and interiors of one of Britain's great stately homes, Georgian Group lecture

• 22 September: Photographing Old Buildings online workshop, SPAB

• 22 September: Conservation on the Edge: The Northern Lighthouse Board - online lecture, SPAB Scotland

• 2 October: The Lay Experience of the Medieval Cathedral, The Annual Conference of the Ecclesiological Society

• 6 October: Conservation on the Edge: Scapa Flow Museum, Orkney - online lecture, SPAB Scotland

• 12 October: Making print rooms in the late eighteenth century, Georgian Group lecture
• 19 October: Collecting and displaying fakes and copies in the eighteenth-century home, Georgian Group lecture

• 20 October: Conservation on the Edge: Mountain Bothy Association - online lecture, SPAB Scotland

• 3 November: Conservation on the Edge: Building Repairs at Height - online lecture, SPAB Scotland

• 13 November: Living with Your Old House online course, SPAB 

• 15 November: The Castles of Wardour: building an Anglo-Catholic identity in eighteenth-century Britain, Georgian Group lecture
• 16 November: Noble Ambitions: The fall and rise of the post-war country house, Georgian Group lecture
• 23 November: William Wrighte's Grotesque Architecture of 1767, Georgian Group lecture

Jobs

Salaried

Unsalaried

Notes & Subscriptions

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Schedule of forthcoming issues:

• Issue 447 - Thurs 15 July (content deadline: Fri 9 July)
• Issue 448 - Thurs 29 July (content deadline: Fri 23 July)
• Issue 449 - Thurs 12 August (content deadline: Fri 6 August)
• Issue 450 - Thurs 26 August (content deadline: Fri 20 August)

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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, Sussex Heritage Trust, National Historic Ships UK.