Heritage Day 2023 - Booking Now Live!

Tickets are now live for our signature annual event. Heritage Day 2023 - taking place in two parts over 1^st & 2^nd March - will once again bring together leading voices from across the heritage sector.

The event will feature keynote speakers including René Olivieri, Chair of the National Trust (further speakers to be announced), foster connection through a series of interactive breakout sessions with sector experts and bring together heritage-facing people to network, discuss issues, find solutions and gather valuable insight.

This year, as with last year, Heritage Day is in two parts. Part 1 on the morning of 1st March will be a virtual session, which will focus on knowledge-sharing and skills. For Part 2, on the afternoon of 2nd March, we are inviting you to join us in-person at The Charterhouse in London, where we will hear from current and future sector leaders for sessions built around vision, leadership and horizon-scanning for the next few years for heritage.

It’s also our 20th Anniversary Year, and so this year’s Heritage Day will be rounded off with our Celebratory Reception in the evening on 2nd March, offering a chance for both reflection and celebration of the sector’s collective achievements in the last two decades.

An early bird 10% off all tickets is available now. Places for the in-person part of the event are limited, so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment.

Heritage Day 2023 is generously sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance.

Nominate your Heritage Heroes by 15 January 2023!

It is the final week to nominate a volunteer/group of volunteers for our 2022 Heritage Heroes Awards.

The process is quick and easy – simply complete and return our 1-page nomination form, telling us the story of your volunteer Heritage Heroes from over the past year, by 15 January 2023. 

We hold these awards each year to recognise and celebrate the incredible contribution of volunteers in the heritage sector. Alongside Ecclesiastical’s Heritage Hero 2022 Award, our special category for this year is Ecclesiastical’s Heritage Storyteller Award (open to all), designed to specifically recognise those who helped bring untold stories to light on the heritage project/organisation they supported in 2022.

Previous nominees have spoken of their delight at being nominated and that the sector recognition gave them and their teams a tremendous sense of pride. 

The awards will be announced at Heritage Day 2023 (1 & 2 March).

Updates from The Heritage Alliance

Changes to the Heritage Alliance Team

This month brings changes to The Heritage Alliance Team, as we say goodbye to Howard Weinberg, who is leaving the Alliance after eight long years serving as our Finance Officer. Howard has been such a mainstay of the Alliance, and we are sure many of you will join in us thanking him for making such a valuable contribution to our work. 

We are now welcoming Zak Mockton to the team, who will be joining part-time from this week as our new Finance Manager. With a long track record in financial management, business and strategic planning, and substantial experience in the corporate world, the start-up world and the charitable/not-for-profit sectors, Zak relished the opportunity to work in a space which very much aligns with his own cultural outlook, and to make a contribution to supporting the organisation as its journey gathers momentum.

Opportunity to Join our Team

Do you want to work at the heart of heritage and help to facilitate its future?

We have extended the deadline for our Office Manager & Administrator vacancy. This part time role will cover office management and administration, diary and office systems management, personal assistant support to the CEO.

The closing date for this role is now 22 January 2022.

Heritage & Cultural Professionals in New Year’s Honours List

Many heritage and cultural professionals have once again been recognised for their significant achievements in the sector through the 2022-23 New Year Honours.

We have summarised the list of cultural professionals recognised through the list here, and the full list published by the Cabinet Office on 30 December 2022 can be found here.

Particular congratulations to Peter Aiers OBE (Heritage Alliance Trustee and Master of the Charterhouse, formerly CEO of the Churches Conservation Trust), Peter Kyle CBE (Formerly Chair of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust [Alliance Member]), Kathleen Elizabeth Maclean BEM (Kate Dickson) (Former Trustee, Architectural Heritage Fund [Alliance Member]) and Lord Neil Mendoza CBE (Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal, and Provost of Oriel College, University of Oxford [Alliance Member]).

Policy Updates

Our work on Energy & the Cost of Living

We’ve produced a summary of the latest energy announcements for the sector. We’ll continue to keep our members and the wider up-to-date with the latest where we can across our communications channels.

We are delighted to see that our combined efforts, made possible by the information you continue to feed us, to make the case for further support for the heritage sector have been picked up through the additional support for heritage (libraries, archives, museums, historic sites, gardens and other visitor attractions). See further details on this below under ‘Government News’.

We are pleased to say we have been funded for a further period of evidence gathering via Historic England on the impact of Cost of Living on the heritage sector. Please continue to let us know how the Cost of Living Crisis and rising costs in energy are impacting your organisation, by emailing Polly Martin (our Head of Policy & Communications) via policy@theheritagealliance.org.uk.

Also This Fortnight

• We are in the process of producing a summary of the draft National Planning Policy Framework which is now out for consultation, highlighting the key questions which the sector might want to respond to. 
• The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will reach the House of Lords next week, with second reading debate on Tuesday. 
• The Farming Minister Mark Spencer announced at the Oxford Farming Conference that there will be increased payments for nature-friendly farming through ELMS. (See details below). We’re still waiting for more detailed announcements.
• On New Year's Day, The Observer published an article on the impact of the Cost of Living Crisis on heritage sites and organisations, drawing on Ecclesiastical’s latest Heritage Barometer, citing Heritage Alliance members’ evidence and including reflections from our Chief Executive Lizzie Glithero-West on how energy price rises are impacting our members (more below).

Build Confidence & Skills Through Rebuilding Heritage

This fortnight, there are some exciting new updates and offers through our Rebuilding Heritage programme:

Upcoming Webinar - ‘Communicating Effectively in Times of Change’

This webinar will examine how heritage organisations can communicate clearly, confidently and consistently in changing times. 25 January, 10am - 11:30am (Zoom). Book your place here.

New Resources:

• Article - ‘Making Good Business Planning Decisions in Difficult Times’ by business consultant Louise Emerson
• Article - ‘Where to Look for ‘Difficult to Fund’ Costs’ by fundraising expert Gill Jolly
• Webinar Recording - ‘What does Fundraising Look Like for 2023?’ by fundraising expert Gill Jolly

Welcome to our New Alliance Members!

We are thrilled to announce that Give A Little have joined as an Affiliate Member of The Heritage Alliance.

Give A Little aims to be the most easy-to-use, flexible and affordable way for charities to collect donations in a cashless society. It has helped over 4,500 charities collect over £13m in cashless donations, including contactless, Chip+PIN and online via web links or QR codes. The platform is used by a wide range of charities including Cancer Research UK, Oxfam, London Zoo and Milton Keynes Museum.

This week, we are also delighted to announce our newest Individual Supporter, Helen Payne. Helen said: “I am joining as an individual, although I am involved with the Friends of the Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood, which exists to promote and advocate for the art collection, house and estate of Kenwood for future generations.”

Share Your News with The Heritage Sector

Do you have news/jobs/courses/events to share with the 6000+ heritage professionals subscribed to Heritage Update?

Please use our advertiser's form to send through content (maximum 70 words) for £165 (per item, per issue), or at no cost if your organisation is a member of The Heritage Alliance.

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

• Unpacking the Energy Bills Discount Scheme

• Open consultation - Reforms to National Planning Policy

• Extension to Horizon Europe Grantee Scheme

• Further Support for Farmers to Increase Biodiversity

Energy Bills Discount Scheme – What does it mean for heritage?

Yesterday, Monday 9th January, the Chancellor announced the “Energy Bills Discount Scheme” to support UK businesses, charities and the public sector with their energy bills. It will run for 12 months - from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.

We’ve produced a summary of the announcements and how they pertain to heritage organisations – read it here. (Full details of the Government announcement are available here and a factsheet here).

In recognition of those higher energy-use sectors, and those sectors which are more vulnerable, a separate category of substantially higher support will be provided for businesses in sectors identified as being the most energy and trade intensive. A full list of Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) can be found here.

We are delighted that thanks to the hard work of the heritage sector, including The Heritage Alliance, our members and sector colleagues, the following sub-sectors have been identified as ETII and qualify for a higher level of support:

• Library and archive activities 
• Museum activities 
• Operation of historical sites and buildings and similar visitor attractions 
• Botanical and zoological gardens and nature reserve activities

The application process for ETII support has not yet been announced. We will continue to update our members when we know more.

This would not have been possible without the information and anecdotal evidence which heritage organisations have continued to share with us; thank you so much again for continuing to update us on how the cost of living and energy crises are impacting you. Please continue to do so, so that we can best represent you.

Please let us know if you have any questions about the announcement by emailing our Head of Policy and Communications, Polly Martin via policy@theheritagealliance.org.uk. We will be collating these questions and seeking answered to them from our regular meetings with DCMS and other Government officials.

Horizon Europe Extension Announced

On 19 December, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) announced that there will be an extension to the Horizon Europe Guarantee scheme. The guarantee will be in place to cover all Horizon Europe calls that close on or before 31 March 2023.

The ’Horizon Europe guarantee’ scheme provides funding to researchers and innovators unable to receive their Horizon Europe funding while the UK is in the process of associating to the programme. The full details are available on the UKRI website.

DCMS & Culture

Minimum Temperature Requirement Relaxed for Museums

To support museums with rising energy costs, a temporary arrangement has been made between the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and Arts Council England to suspend the minimum requirement for temperature between December 2022 and March 2023.

VAT Refund Scheme for Museums & Galleries Extended

The application deadline for the VAT Refund Scheme for museums and galleries has been extended to 5pm on Wednesday 1 March 2023. DCMS has updated the application guidance for the scheme, and further guidance for organisations on eligibility can be found here.

Platinum Jubilee Queen's Award for Voluntary Service

The winners of the special Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award have been announced. 20 national charities have been awarded for their exceptional work to empower young people, including The Scouts [Alliance member], The Social Mobility Foundation, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, The Springboard Charity and The British Youth Council.

Gigabit-Capable Broadband now Available to 72% of UK

DCMS has announced that through Project Gigabit (the “UK Government’s £5 billion mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband to homes and businesses across the UK”), gigabit-capable broadband is now available to over 72% of the UK (nearly 22 million homes and businesses).

Planning

Open consultation - Reforms to National Planning Policy

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) has launched a long-expected consultation, seeking views on the Government’s proposed approach to updating to the National Planning Policy Framework, (NPPF). This has been published alongside draft revised NPPF text. 

In the Government’s own words, they are seeking views on how they can reform the planning system ‘to support the natural environment, respond to climate change and deliver on levelling up of economic opportunity’. In the introduction to the consultation, they also mention that there will be a ‘wider review of the Framework to follow Royal Assent of the [Levelling Up and Regeneration] Bill’. 

While the heritage chapter is unchanged, we are still working our way through the consultation to understand the full impact for our members and the heritage sector more generally. We will publish a full briefing on our website very soon.

Extension to Business Rates Relief Scheme

At the Autumn Statement in November, The Chancellor announced the introduction of a new business rates relief scheme for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, which will see the business rates multiplier frozen for another year (2023-24). The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief scheme will be extended and increased from 50% to 75% this year, up to £110,000 per business.

The full details are set out in the Business Rates Factsheet and new guidance on the Scheme is available here.

Environment

Increased Payments for Nature-Friendly Farming

Last week on 5 January, DEFRA’s farming minister Mark Spencer announced at the Oxford Farming Conference that farmers in England will have an increased Sustainable Farming Incentive Management Payment.

Whilst this supports the principle of public money for public good, stakeholders such as the National Trust and the CLA are beginning to comment on the Government’s lack of ambition and need for clarity. We still expect more detailed announcements soon, including on further developments of the future of Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMs).

EAC Calls for National “War Effort” on Energy Efficiency

The Environmental Audit Committee has called for a national mobilisation on energy efficiency, setting out in a new report (published 5 January) how the UK can accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and secure energy supplies to tackle the energy affordability, security and sustainability crises facing the UK.

Biodiversity Targets Agreed

The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) ended in Canada on 19 December with a landmark agreement. At the conference, nearly 200 countries agreed and adopted a new “global biodiversity framework”, encompassing a new set of goals to guide global action through 2030 to halt and reverse nature loss. A useful summary of the main points of the agreement has been produced by The Guardian.

Tourism & Hospitality

Get Around for £2

The Department for Transport has announced the launch of a new, short-term scheme to help passengers save on bus fares across over 130 bus operators in England (outside of London). From 1 January to 31 March 2023, £60 million in government funding is being spent to cap single tickets at £2. A list of bus companies and bus routes included in the £2 bus fare cap scheme can be found here. The scheme forms part of the Government’s Help for Households campaign.

Education

PM Proposes Making Maths Compulsory to 18

In his first speech of 2023, the Prime Minister set out his priorities for the year ahead and ambition to build ‘a better future’ for Britain. This included his proposal to make numeracy “a central objective of the education system”. Sunak stated that this “doesn’t have to mean” compulsory A level in maths for everyone, but that the Government will work “to move towards all children studying some form of maths” up until the age of 18.

Parliamentary & Other Government News

• The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has outlined his top five priorities for 2023. These are set out in full here, with the top being to “ease the cost of living and give people financial security”.
• Sir Laurie Magnus CBE, Chair of Historic England, has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s new ethics adviser (Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests).
• HM Treasury has opened the Spring Budgets representations portal for submissions, with a deadline of 1 February.
• On 19 December, the Government published a new Resilience Framework to “strengthen” how the UK prepares for and responds to emergencies. It is put forward as a “new ‘whole of society’ approach to emergency planning encourages individuals, businesses and other organisations to play their part in building resilience across the UK.”
• A parliamentary briefing has been published, considering recent developments in the formation of the government’s strategy for the arts and creative industries.
• The APPG for Creative Diversity held its first roundtable for its latest research examining diversity and inclusion in creative education and the 16+ talent pipeline.

Sector Digest

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

Rising Costs Pose Serious Risk to Heritage

An article has been published in The Observer, shining a light on the recent Heritage Barometer research from Ecclesiastical Insurance [Alliance Corporate Partner] and evidence that the Cost of living crisis and rising costs are threatening the future of heritage organisations, with many fearing permanent closure.

Among those quoted in the article, our Chief Executive Lizzie Glithero-West noted how soaring costs pose "a greater risk to heritage than Covid", and Jon Morgan, Director of the Theatres Trust [Alliance member] commented that “many have spent their reserves to survive and still haven’t reached pre-pandemic audience levels”.

Heritage Treasures Day Celebrations

This week Wednesday (11 January) marked Heritage Treasures Day from the National Lottery Heritage Fund [Alliance member], held as an annual celebration since 2017 of rich and diverse heritage. Search across social media to see celebrations of heritage using #HeritageTreasures. We’ve shared some from Alliance Members who have benefitted from Lottery funding on Twitter (@Heritage_NGOs).

On Heritage Treasures Day, the Fund announced that it has awarded £4.9million to Barts Heritage to enable the historic buildings of St Bartholomew’s Hospital to be restored and rejuvenated.

The Fund is also inviting professionals to brighten up your desktop, screen saver or online calls with one of these heritage virtual backgrounds.

Vindolanda Bursary Scheme

Historic England has announced that it is giving a grant of £10,000 to enable The Vindolanda Trust to fund ten bursary places on the 2023 digs at the Vindolanda Roman settlement near Hexham.

The bursaries (which are open to applications until 31 January) will cover a two-week placement at the popular annual excavation, where young people from across Tyne and Wear and Northumberland will be working alongside experienced archaeologists over the summer.

Museum + Heritage Awards

A reminder that the Museums + Heritage Awards are returning this year with 17 categories (including 3 that are free to enter) ranging from Sustainable Project of the Year, through Community Engagement Programme, Best use of Digital to Restoration and Conservation Project of the Year.

Each entry is judged on its own merit and the shortlist frequently features brilliant examples of low-cost, creative projects. Entry is quick, easy and can be done online. A comprehensive How To Enter guide is here.

The entry deadline is 23.59 hrs on Wednesday 1 February 2023.

£3.6m Awarded for Social Prescribing

Over £3.6 million of government funding has been awarded to the National Academy of Social Prescribing (NASP), which will support NASP to build on its work to provide access a wide range of community-led social activities, services and opportunities that have proven benefits to people’s health and wellbeing.

Parthenon Marbles – Vatican Return & UK Discussions

It has been reported that the Vatican will return three fragments of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece that have been held at the Vatican Museums for centuries. The Vatican said in a brief statement that the repatriation will take place with the pope giving them as a “donation” to Archbishop Ieronymos II, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church and Greece’s spiritual leader.

This comes amid mounting pressure on the British Museum to repatriate marbles held in its collection.

Options for Organisations Without NPO Funding

Arts Professional has published an article outlining potential options for arts organisations who missed out on Arts Council England NPO funding in the 2023-26 Investment Programme.

While the 2023-26 Investment Programme represents its largest ever National Portfolio, 130 arts organisations previously funded through the national portfolio missed out on funding altogether and 35 of those that retained their NPO status saw cuts of £50,000 or more.

Art Fund Grants Support ‘Experimental’ Engagement

That latest round of Art Fund’s ‘Reimagine’ grants programme has seen £1.8m awarded to projects at 45 museums and galleries across the UK. The funding has been established to enable museums and galleries to reimagine engagement with audiences by developing access, expertise, and digital capacity.

Amateur Archaeologist Uncovers Ice Age ‘Proto-writing’

After studying cave drawings made by ice-age hunter-gatherers to decode a potential “proto-writing” system, Ben Bacon – an amateur archaeologist – concluded that the 20,000-year-old markings were a form of lunar calendar. Bacon has collaborated with a team of academics (including Professors at Durham University [Alliance member]) to publish a paper on the findings in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal.

Alliance Member News

A snapshot of the current work of our members.

Consultations

Open Consultations (with closing dates):

• Ministry of Defence - Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, Indefinite Section 28 Direction five-year review (2022) – 13 January 2023
• DHS - Antimicrobial resistance national action plan – call for evidence – 20 January 2023
• HM Treasury - Spring Budget 2023 - Call for representations - 1 February 2023
• DLUHC - Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill: reforms to national planning policy – 2 March 2023

Events

Upcoming Heritage Events - Quick Look

• 19 Jan: Seaside Piers Before Birch (Year of the Pier Lecture) , National Piers Society - online

• 23 Jan: How to Measure the Success of Your Heritage Project, TDR Heritage - online
• 24 Jan: Online Talk: Restoring Soane’s Drawing Office, Historic Buildings & Places  - online
• 30 Jan: Designing & Delivering Community Engagement Activities, TDR Heritage - online
• Until 31 Jan: SPAB Good Housekeeping Recorded Lectures - Pay-To-View
• 22 Feb: Talk & Tour of Bentley Priory Museum, Historic Buildings & Places

• 23 Feb: An Introduction to the Old House Project, SPAB - online

• 27 April: Archaeology at the Old House Project, SPAB - online

Courses

Upcoming Heritage Courses:

• Jan - Feb: Inclusive Communications – Historic England Training, online
• 5 Jan - 23 Mar: Stage 1 Family History Skills Evening Course, Society of Genealogists - online
• 18 March: Old House Eco Course, SPAB - Coopers' Hall, Bristol Old Vic
• Jan - Sept: New Wave - a funded training programme from Heritage Open Days, London & Virtual
• 21-22 April: An Introduction to Plain Lime Plastering, SPAB - Heritage Skills Centre

• 22 – 26 May: The Repair of Old Buildings Course, SPAB - London

• 9 - 10 June: An Introduction to Ornamental Lime Plastering, SPAB - Heritage Skills Centre
• April - June: Photographing Old Buildings Online Workshop, SPAB - online

Jobs

Salaried

Office Manager & Administrator - The Heritage Alliance

Office Manager & Administrator

Do you want to work at the heart of heritage and help to facilitate its future? The Heritage Alliance is looking for a part time Office Manager and Administrator for its small friendly office based on Ludgate Hill in London.

This role will cover office management and administration, diary and office systems management, as well as some personal assistant support to our Chief Executive.

Location: London
Rate of pay: £14 per hour (0.5 FTE, 17.5 hours/week)
Closing date: 22 January 2023 [Extended]

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 485 – Thurs 26 January (content deadline: Fri 20 January)
• Issue 486 – Thurs 9 February (content deadline: Fri 3 February)
• Issue 487 – Thurs 23 February (content deadline: Fri 17 February)

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.