Updates from The Heritage Alliance

Heritage Debate 2022: Introducing our Speakers

Each year, The Heritage Alliance’s Heritage Debate offers the chance for all those interested in heritage to come together and explore key challenges facing the sector. This year, attendees will be invited to collectively examine which of the key questions facing the sector will be most important in 20 years’ time.

Five speakers will make the case for a specific priority and why that priority will be the most important issue for the sector in 2042.

We are delighted to announce that these five speakers making the case for one of the five priorities will be:

• Community value - Dr Wanda Wyporska (CEO, Society of Genealogists)
• Inherent value – Dr Mike Nevell (Industrial Heritage Support Officer, Historic England)
• Business value - Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke (Mapperton House)
• Climate crisis - Rab Bennetts (Co-founder, Bennetts Associates and Founder of the UK Green Council)
• Skills & workforce – Kate Geary (Head of Professional Development & Practice, CIfA)

At the end of the debate, all attendees will take the role of funders and will have the chance to allocate fictional funding between the 5 priorities.

We have invited individuals and organisations from across the heritage sector to share their views on this year’s topic – Heritage in 20 Years: what will matter most? Read this series of blogs up on our Heritage Day 2022 event page.

Join us for Heritage Debate 2022 on Thursday 24 November, 5-7pm. Tickets are free for Alliance Members, or £5 - £7 for non-members.

Heritage Debate 2022 – Raise your organisation’s profile

Heritage Debate 2022 is a sector wide event and the ideal opportunity to raise your organisation’s profile by placing an advert or sponsoring the event.  Get in touch with Claire to find out more, development@theheritagealliance.org.uk.

Advertiser Role - £65 THA members, £100 non-members. Profile your organisation with your advert and weblink on the event website and attend the event with two complimentary tickets. 

Sponsorship Role – from £450. Headline profile for your organisation which includes your video featured during the event, bespoke profile on our event marketing and five complimentary tickets. 

More about heritage Debate 2022 and tickets here.

Could you be a Trustee of the Heritage Alliance?

We are searching for new Trustees to join us, to continue to build the capacity and diversity of the Heritage Alliance Board. The closing date for applications is 13 November 2022, and the full details are on our website.

If you would like to have an informal chat to find out more about what a trustee does, we are holding a second virtual roundtable from 13.00 – 14.00, on 4^th November. Please email Polly to register at policy@theheritagealliance.org.uk.

We would be very grateful if you could please share the opportunity with your networks and recommend any colleagues who you think would suit the role well.

Policy Updates

• Given the Cabinet reshuffle, our planned meeting with the Heritage Minister (formerly Lord Kamall) has been postponed. We await confirmation of the DCMS portfolios and who our next Heritage Minister will be.

• The Heritage Alliance joined the other 28 members of The Better Planning Coalition in welcoming Parliamentarians to a reception to discuss the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and the Coalition’s common desire to see a planning system fit for people, nature and the climate.

• Last week, we collated evidence from the sector for a BEIS call for profit and loss information. This information will sit alongside the submission many of you put in to the BEIS Cost of Living Survey, and along with our ongoing advocacy work will inform future support for the sector for the impacts of the cost of living crisis. Thank you to all organisations who shared their evidence and responses with us. Please continue to keep us informed on how the current crises are impacting your organisation and the broader heritage sector, which will strengthen our advocacy and ensure we can make clear, appropriate asks to policy makers. To get in touch, please email our Head of Policy & Communications Polly Martin via mailto:policy@theheritagealliance.org.uk.

•  Our CEO Lizzie and Head of Policy & Communications Polly met with DEFRA shadow minister Alex Sobel last Tuesday to discuss our environmental agenda. They also attended a Q&A with Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell.

• We are in the process of revising our fiscal and funding manifesto Backing the Bedrock, to reflect our priorities and key asks on behalf of the heritage sector for 2022 (read Backing the Bedrock 2021 here). We’ll publish the new document this month, along with a summary of the Chancellor’s upcoming Budget announcements on 17 November.

New Insights from Rebuilding Heritage

New Roundtable Infographic - what we learnt from talking to the sector...

The Rebuilding Heritage team has been busy collecting insights from their recent series of five knowledge-sharing roundtables. These events drew together heritage organisations, sector support bodies, consultants and funders to discuss a range of topics, generating interesting discussions on the work of Rebuilding Heritage and the needs of the heritage sector going forwards.

They've used discussion points from these insightful conversations to produce their latest eye-catching infographic document, sharing the key learnings and final take-aways from each session.

This infographic series is useful for anyone interested in the wider workings of heritage, as well as current trends and sentiments across the breadth of the sector - find them all here.

October #HeritageChat – The Historic Environment on Film, TV & other Media

The second week-long #HeritageChat by the Historic Environment Forum was held on Twitter last week. The topic for October was ‘The Historic Environment on Film, TV and other media’ and the chat was joined by archaeologist, film maker and British Archaeology TV columnist Greg Bailey. This was a lively chat with lots of views, articles, podcasts and sector publications shared across the week: a summary of the chat and a link to the full conversation is now available on the Historic Environment Forum website.

If you’d like to suggest a topic for #HeritageChat or are interested in being a co-host for a future chat, contact the Historic Environment Forum Manager at HEFSteering@historicenvironmentforum.org.uk.

Welcome to our New Alliance Members!

We are thrilled to announce that St Paul’s Cathedral and The William Morris Society have joined as the newest members of The Heritage Alliance.

A vibrant Church, a national treasure and a London icon, St Paul’s Cathedral has been the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of London for over 1,400 years. The building provides a space for reflection, discovery, learning and debate. In 2019, it welcomed nearly two million people through its doors, to worship, sightsee, and attend a lively programme of concerts, educational events and performing arts. Alongside dedicated clergy and staff, the church is sustained by a community of volunteers, who ring its bells, lead tours, maintain its collections and more.

The William Morris Society aims to perpetuate the memory of one of the greatest men of the Victorian, or any, age. The life, work and ideas of William Morris (1834-1896) are as important today as they were in his lifetime. The Society exists to make them as widely known as possible. Established in 1955, it publishes a Journal and Magazine and runs a varied series of talks and events. The Society is based at Kelmscott House, Morris's Hammersmith home, where it runs a museum with changing exhibitions on the life and work of Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement which he founded.

Offers for our Members

A number of our Affiliate Members are offering services to support the work of Heritage Alliance Members. These offers - set out here - include free legal calls, fundraising advice, discounted copyright training and consultation on carbon offsetting.

Share Your News with The Heritage Sector

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Read more in our step-by-step guide on sharing your content in Heritage Update.

Government News

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

Headlines

• New Heritage Minister & Changes to DCMS 

• Anticipating Budget Announcements – 17 Nov

• Promoting Britain Abroad Report Published

• ACE Investment Programme Announcement

Key Updates

Bank Warns of Longest Ever Recession

This morning, it was announced that the Bank of England has raised the UK interest rate from 2.25% to 3%. The Bank has warned that the UK is facing its longest recession since records began and it has raised rates to decrease prices, as the cost of living is rising at its fastest rate in 40 years.

Economic Budget Statement Delayed – 17 November

The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, will now still set out his plan for balancing the Government’s finances on 17 November, delayed from the 31 October.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the independent budget watchdog, will publish a report alongside this statement to give an indication of the health of the UK’s finances. 

See the summary of recent Cost of Living announcements for the heritage sector here on our website for further details of what is expected.

ACE Delays Announcement of Investment Programme

Following discussions with DCMS, Arts Council England has announced that they have agreed to delay the announcement of organisations joining the 2023-26 Investment Programme.

Organisations applying to the 2023-26 Investment Programme put forward applications in three strands: National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs), Investment Principles Support Organisations (IPSOs) and Transfer Programme organisations. 

It has been confirmed that the announcement of the portfolio will now take place tomorrow (Friday 4 November).

New PM & Key Ministerial Appointments for Heritage

In his first speech, the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to deliver on Conservative manifesto promises, including protecting the environment and levelling up. Read his full speech here.

Rishi Sunak was previously the Chancellor of the Exchequer from February 2020 to July 2022. Before this, he was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury from July 2019 to February 2020, and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government from January 2018 to July 2019.

In line with this administration’s vision for the country, the Prime Minister has made the following appointments to the key Government departments of note for heritage policy:

Cabinet

• Jeremy Hunt MP was re-appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Michelle Donelan MP was re-appointed as Culture Secretary
• Dr Thérèse Coffey MP was appointed Environment Secretary
• Michael Gove MP was appointed Levelling-Up Secretary
• Grant Shapps MP was appointed Business Secretary

In addition, John Glen MP, former Heritage Minister between June 2017 and January 2018, has been appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury. 

We expect new junior ministerial appointments to be announced over the next few days and will continue to share the latest. So far:

DCMS (Department for Culture, Media & Sport)

• Julia Lopez has been reappointed as Minister of State for Media, Data, and Digital Infrastructure
• Paul Scully has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Stuart Andrew has been reappointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

DLUHC (Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities)

• Lucy Frazer KC has been appointed Minister of State
• Felicity Buchan has been appointed has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Dehenna Davison has been reappointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Lee Rowley has been reappointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE has been reappointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

DEFRA (Department for Environment & Rural Affairs)

• Rebecca Pow has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
• Mark Spencer has been reappointed Minister of State (Minister for Food)
• Trudy Harrison has been reappointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Environment)
• Lord Benyon has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for International Environment)

DCMS & Culture

Promoting Britain Abroad – Report Published

The DCMS Select Committee has published a report setting out recommendations from its recent Promoting Britain Abroad Inquiry. Read the key recommendations here. Their conclusion: “Overall, we believe that the Government fails to recognise the value of the inbound tourism industry.” The Government will issue a response within two months.

DCMS Committee Calls for Urgent Support to ‘Level Up’ Through Culture

On Wednesday, the DCMS Committee published a Report into Cultural placemaking and the levelling up agenda.

They are calling for urgent financial support and a new regional cultural funding focus to level up opportunities in arts and culture across the country, stating that theatres, museums and leisure centres are facing an ‘existential threat’ from the cost-of-living crisis.

The Committee’s MPs say that the Government needs to tackle geographical funding imbalances for arts and culture if it is to fulfil its commitment to ‘levelling up’ the UK. A key recommendation from the report is that the Government and Arts Council England reconsider how they allocate funding by regions. The Committee proposes a model whereby national cultural institutions are categorised and allocated funding separately from local and regional cultural institutions.

Charities Act 2022

This Monday (31 October), the first set of changes being introduced by the Charities Act 2022 came into force. The changes introduce a range of provisions, including new powers for trustees. These provisions include:

• An extended power for charities to pay trustees for providing goods to the charity under certain circumstances (in addition to services, and goods connected to services)
• A reduction in the administrative complexities surrounding fundraising appeals that do not reach, or exceed, fundraising targets (often known as ‘failed appeals’).
• A new statutory power for Royal Charter charities to change sections of their Royal Charter which they could not previously change, with the approval of the Privy Council.

In related news - during his time as Heritage Minister, Lord Kamall confirmed the decision of the UK Government to defer the introduction of legal provisions that would enable national museums in England and Wales to deaccession items from their collections on moral grounds.

As we previously reported, this would have been the first time that nationals would be able to this, due to existing statutes. Lord Kamall stated in the house that “no such intent was considered, nor agreed on” when the Bill was debated in the House of Commons.

New Consultation Could Delay UK’s Post-Brexit Data Laws

It has been reported that the UK’s new post-Brexit data legislation could face further delays after a DCMS official confirmed further consultation into the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, which is set to replace the EU’s GDPR.

The changes could mean fewer radical reforms than those posed by Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan, which may have put the adequacy agreement at risk.

Help for Vulnerable People to Spot Disinformation & Boost Online Safety

The Government granted over £1 million to 17 UK organisations to pilot new ways of boosting media literacy skills for people at risk of experiencing online abuse and being deceived into believing false information.

The Media Literacy Taskforce Fund has been created to target ‘hard-to-reach’ and vulnerable groups by investing in community-led projects, and the Media Literacy Programme Fund will deliver training, online learning and mentoring schemes to vulnerable internet users.

DCMS has updated its webpage offering online media literacy resources.

Planning

Land Use in England for 2022

The statistics for Land Use in England for 2022 have now been published, showing how different land uses are distributed across England. These data can be explored using the ‘Land use statistics’ interactive dashboard.

The collection of Government guidance on Land use in England can be found here.

Environment

Preparing for COP27

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that he will now be attending the COP27 climate summit next week, which will take place in Egypt.

Climate Heritage Network (of which The Heritage Alliance is a member, along with many of our members) will be among representatives from the heritage sector at COP27. The Network has launched a new Culture at Cop27 Platform, and from 6-18 Nov, they will be holding "The Power of Arts, Culture & Heritage to Accelerate Climate Action in 13 days" - an online #CultureAtCOP27 conversation to tell and show the world how culture drives climate action. Daily themes and further information are available here.

Tree Health Pilot Scheme Ts & Cs Updated

The Forestry Commission's terms and conditions for tree health pilot scheme grant funding agreements have been updated to include additional clauses within Annex 2B THP special conditions and eligibility requirements.

The tree health pilot (THP) scheme will test different ways of slowing the spread of pests and diseases affecting trees in England. The results of the pilot, which runs from August 2021 to 2024, will help develop the future funding policy for tree health schemes.

Individuals or groups who manage specific trees or woodlands infected by specific pests and diseases in certain regions of England are eligible to apply.

Parliamentary & Other Government News

• Statistics released from the ONS on 26 October show that the proportion of jobs in the UK that are low paid is at its lowest since records began in 1997. The proportion of low-paid employee jobs (based on hourly pay) fell to 10.5% in 2022 from 14.3% in 2021, with the proportion of high-paid employee jobs falling 0.7 percentage points.
• The House of Commons and the House of Lords will be in recess from next Wednesday, 9 November, until 14 November. All upcoming recess dates for both houses can be found on the UK Parliament website

Sector Digest

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

Cultural Orgs Take Cost-of-Living Measures

We are aware that many organisations across the sector are facing similar challenges in the face of rising energy bills and increases to the cost of living. Many organisations have been taking measures to support visitors and staff, and also safeguard heritage assets.

Among notable examples, The National Gallery has introduced a ‘pay what you wish’ scheme in response to the current crisis for visitors to its Lucian Freud exhibition with Credit Suisse on Friday evenings.

Please continue to share your evidence with us, so that we can continue to make the case for much needed support for organisations of all sizes across the sector. To do so, please email our Head of Policy & Communications, Polly Martin, on mailto:policy@theheritagealliance.org.uk.

UK Disability History Month

UK Disability History Month (UKDHM) is an annual event giving us an opportunity to focus on the history of the disabled struggle for equality and human rights. Disability History Month began in 2010 and runs from 22 November to 22 December every year. This covers HIV/AIDS Day (1 December), International Day of People with Disabilities (3 December) and International Human Rights Day (10 December). The theme for 2022 is Disability, Health and Well Being.

The Society of Genealogists [Alliance member] is encouraging genealogists to support UKDHM by researching members of our own families who have or had disabilities, by examining how they were represented and when their rights were denied. They have released an article, which includes examples of how to conduct research using the census.

Parthenon Project – Advisory Board Established

An advisory board for the Parthenon Project, an organisation founded by the Greek businessman John Lefas, has been set up to campaign for a deal concerning the Parthenon Marbles. Lord Vaizey is joining other founding members on the board, which also includes two other Conservative peers, the author Lord Dobbs and Baroness Meyer, as well Stephen Fry and the journalist Sarah Baxter.

Heritage Sector Carbon Net Zero Survey

Historic England is keen to support micro, small and medium size heritage organisations on their journey towards Carbon Net Zero. Historic England is aware that many organisations are at different stages with reducing their carbon emissions and they would like to get a better idea of how many organisations need support, identify the key issues they are facing, and what types of support they would like to receive.

They are keen on hearing from heritage organisations that run or manage heritage sites (e.g. industrial heritage sites, forts, historic houses etc…) or provide heritage services (e.g. archaeological or architectural investigations, conservation work etc…). A short survey has been created to collect this information and they will be holding round table discussions in November and December to discuss things in more depth.

The survey will run until 4 December. If you have any questions please contact Daniel.miles@historicengland.org.uk.

New Heat Pumps Guidance Published by Historic England

Historic England's Technical Conservation Team has recently published new guidance on installing heat pumps in historic buildings.

The advice looks at the options of air, ground and water source heat pumps, and explores the process of assessing and reducing heating demands in buildings.

They also have a range of recordings of webinars that explore a variety of topics including energy efficiency, building services and counting carbon in the historic built environment. You can watch them here.

Woodland Trust Report – Farming for the Future

The Woodland Trust has published a new report assessing the benefits of agroforestry on a large scale on farmland in England: ‘Farming for the future: how agroforestry can deliver for nature and climate’. Among the report’s key recommendations are that more trees are needed in farmed landscapes in England to meet climate and nature targets, and that agroforestry can help reverse declines in biodiversity, reduce emissions and increase carbon storage.

Benefact Group - Social Media Fundraising Webinar

Benefact Group are holding a webinar on 15 November, which will explore how charities can use social media to build their network, reach new audiences, share success stories and boost donations. This webinar is designed for charities with limited time and resources, with guidance on where to start and the fundamentals of social media from a digital marketing expert.

Alliance Member News

A snapshot of the current work of our members.

Consultations

Open Consultations (with closing dates):

• The Environment Agency - Regional flood and coastal committees: membership and boundary change – 8 November 2022

• Maritime & Coastguard Agency – Consultation to review MSN 1870 (M+F) Amendment 4 the merchant shipping and fishing vessels (personal protective equipment) regulations 1999 – 25 November

• Office of Tax Simplification - Review of hybrid and distance working – 25 November

• UK Commission on Covid Commemoration - Covid Commemoration Consultation – 5 December

Events

Upcoming Heritage Events - Quick Look

• 5 Oct – 17 Nov: London Luminaries – virtual lecture series

• 7 Nov: Wilding Rural Enfield Lecture – online; London Parks & Gardens Trust

• 8 Nov: HOW TO: Understand Planning Permissions & Listed Building Consent – online; LHBT

• 8 Nov: John Wood and the Creation of Georgian Bath – lecture (London); Georgian Group

• 9 Nov: Historic Buildings & Places Casework Review - online

• 11 Nov: Heritage Trust Network Conference 2022 - Day 1: Online; Days 2-4: Caernarfon, north Wales

• 14 Nov: 40th anniversary celebration of Curtains!!! or A New Life For Old Theatres – London; Theatres Trust

• 14 Nov: Waterloo Uncovered Presents: An Evening at the National Gallery

• 14 - 16 Nov: The RIBA Conservation Register Forum 2022 – online; RIBA

• 15 Nov: The 2022 Tourism Conference - Recovery and Growth – London 

• 15 Nov: The Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event 2022 - London

• 17 Nov: Historic Landscapes Assembly 2022 – London; The Gardens Trust

• 22 Nov: Palaces of Revolution: Life, death and art at the Stuart court – lecture (London); Georgian Group

• 24 Nov: Heritage Debate 2022 – online, The Heritage Alliance
• 29 Nov: Open High Streets: The Importance of Community Engagement and Leadership - Birmingham; Heritage Trust Network
• 5 Dec: 25th Stephen Dykes Bower Memorial Lecture: Response to Climate Change - London
• 7 Dec: Historic Buildings & Places Annual Lecture - online
• 13 Dec: ‘English Garden Eccentrics’ by Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, Landscape Architect – Online; London Parks & Gardens Trust

Courses

Upcoming Heritage Courses:

• 17 Oct - 26 Nov: Understanding Your Old House Course, SPAB
• 19 Oct - 14 Dec: Researching Your Ancestors in the Long 18th Century, Society of Genealogists
• 5 Nov  - 10 Dec : Researching 17th Century Ancestors, Society of Genealogists
• 9 Nov - 14 Dec: Heritage Interpretation Online, AHI
• 5 Dec: Historic Finishes Masterclass, Hampton Court Palace

Jobs

Salaried

Notes & Subscriptions

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

You can also visit our website to access an archive of previous issues.

Advertise in Heritage Update

Heritage Update reaches an estimated 14,000 inboxes, is tweeted to our 22.9k Twitter followers, and is shared on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Sharing news, events, courses and vacancies in Heritage Update is free for Heritage Alliance Members, or costs £165 per ad per issue for non-members.

Simply submit our online advertiser's form with the details and payment (if needed) ahead of the content deadline for an upcoming issue. The full instructions are on our website.

We also welcome image-based advertising for academic courses, projects and services of interest to the sector. This costs £75 for members (to feature an 'enhanced' member news item) and £185 for non-members.

Schedule of forthcoming issues:

• Issue 481 - Thurs 17 November (content deadline: 11 October)
• Issue 482 - Thurs 1 December (content deadline: 25 November)
• Issue 483 - Thurs 15 December (content deadline: 9 December)
• [Break for the holidays]

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 Heritage Update.

Seeking Funding/Guidance for Your Heritage Project?

The Heritage Alliance is not a funding body, but we co-manage the Heritage Funding Directory with the Architectural Heritage Fund. This free resource for the sector includes a directory we have jointly collated, listing funding sources for heritage projects across the UK (and internationally), and includes some helpful guidance on fundraising.

We are currently updating existing records in the directory. If you are a funder and would like to list your fund in the Heritage Funding Directory, please follow this link to submit the details through our online form. We also welcome updates to existing entries through this form.

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
lizzie.glithero-west@theheritagealliance.org.uk

Advocacy & Communications Officer (Heritage Update Contact)
Daniella Briscoe-Peaple 0207 233 0800
comms@theheritagealliance.org.uk

Head of Policy & Communications
Polly Martin 0207 233 0700
policy@theheritagealliance.org.uk

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

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

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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; Heritage Open Days; Wessex Archaeology; The SPAB; National Historic Ships UK. Details of the header image are listed at the top of each issue.