Updates from The Heritage Alliance

Policy Updates

• Over the past fortnight, we’ve held several meetings of our advocacy groups and working groups to discuss key ongoing work with our members:

  • Our Rural Heritage Advocacy Group (RHAG) met to discuss key topics, including heritage considerations for agri-environment schemes, ELMs and the OEP.

  • We held a special meeting with Alliance members to discuss international working, partnerships, research and how the Alliance can help in this space.

  • We held a special extended meeting of our Spatial Planning Advocacy Group (SPAG), where representatives from across our broad membership discussed their current work in relation to the Levelling Up & Planning Bill. Our recent briefings on the Bill can be found here.

• Our CEO Lizzie Glithero-West gave a keynote lecture at Lincoln University’s symposium on the challenges facing the heritage sector. A few summary tweets are here.

Free Resources from Our Sector Support Programmes

As we have reached the summer months, for some of us with a policy focus that means a bit more time to reacquaint yourself with the wealth of free resources which are available through Heritage Digital and Heritage Digital Academy.

Among the digital guides, templates and FAQs available as helpful tools for heritage professionals and organisations are:

• A guide to choosing a CRM for heritage organisations – By Charity Digital
• Digital Marketing Strategy Guide – By Media trust
• Working with volunteers: Copyright considerations – By Naomi Korn Associates
• Digital Template: Social Media Guidelines – By Heritage Digital Editorial
• How to run effective heritage webinars – By Zoe Ruibal-Buxton
• A guide to growing and engaging audiences online – By Media Trust

There is also a great collection of guidance, podcasts, infographics, videos, toolkits and case studies covering a range of topics explored through our Rebuilding Heritage programme available on the project website.

These have been developed to support organisational resilience throughout the covid-19 pandemic and include:

• Video - Needs-led: Fundraising for sustainability
• Video - Managing Hybrid Teams
• Video - What's the point of you? Clarifying your mission
• Guide - Managing Organisational Change in Heritage Settings
• Guide - Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Heritage: Toolkit
• Podcasts - Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: 1. How to Talk, 2. How to Start, 3. How to Recruit

HR clinic with Bates Wells – Reflections

Last Thursday, we held an HR clinic with our partner Bates Wells via Zoom, focusing on the future of work within heritage organisations. A lively discussion took place on the challenges and opportunities around hybrid working as well as staff recruitment and retention.

Future clinics are planned for 27 October, 25 January and 19 April. Details of how to join these sessions will be circulated with Alliance Members via email in due course.

Heritage Chat - Heritage Futures

Last Tuesday (19 July), #HeritageChat discussed Heritage Futures. The session was co-facilitated by Dr Leila Papoli-Yazdi and Dr Emily Hanscam, Researchers from the UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures. This was an engaging topic and contributors thoughtfully discussed the range of assumptions sector professionals make when we consider what the historic environment will be like in the future.

In terms of challenges, Climate Change was recognised as an overarching issue that will impact on the future of heritage. In addition to providing answers to the chat questions, contributors shared knowledge, research and foresight theories, and put forward ideas about how the sector can continue to be future oriented. You can read the summary of the chat on the Historic Environment Forum’s website here. And read more about the work being done by the UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures here.

#HeritageChat is taking a break over August - but keep an eye out for updates on the next chat topic for September by following @HeritageChat on Twitter.

Welcome to our New Alliance Members!

We are delighted to welcome Markenfield Hall, Tree-V and the Commonwealth Heritage Forum as the newest members of the Alliance.

A Mediaeval, moated and much-loved family home - Markenfield Hall is a medieval historic house set within stunning Yorkshire countryside south of Ripon, which has remained largely untouched, and is one of a handful of moated, medieval manor houses that could still be recognised by their original owners. 

Tree-V is an automotive focused carbon offsetting company, founded with the aim of keeping this country's historic vehicles and historic attractions relevant, responsible and thriving long into the 21st century. They work with individuals, businesses, organisations and venues to ensure that any miles they cover are eco-friendly thanks to their innovative and bespoke carbon offsetting service.

The Commonwealth Heritage Forum is an innovative new membership organisation open to all those interested in sharing in the conservation of the built heritage of the Commonwealth. They welcome membership from individuals, heritage bodies and trusts, professional practitioners and academic institutions.

Share Your News with The Heritage Sector

Do you have news/jobs/courses/events to share with the 6500+ 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

• A New Weddings Law

• Changes Coming for DMOs

• Dormant Asset Fund Consultation Launched

• Temporary Outdoor Dining Regulations Made Permanent 

• Levelling Up Fund: Round 2 Open for Bids 

Conservative Leadership Race

Following the fifth and final round of voting by MPs on Wednesday afternoon, two candidates now remain in the contest for the next leader of the conservative party. Either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will take over as Prime Minister on 5 September, after Tory members vote in the ballot.

Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law

On Tuesday (19 July), The Law Commission of England and Wales published its recommendations to reform weddings law, which will now go to the Government for review. The report sets out the Commission’s proposals for “a fairer system that gives couples more choice over where and how their wedding takes place”. The recommendations focus on a new proposed system based on regulation of the officiant responsible for the ceremony (rather than the current system, based on regulation of buildings).

If accepted, these recommendations would mean that couples could get married in a wider variety of locations, for example in a forest, on a beach, or in a local park; in local venues, such as community centres and village halls, as well as in their own homes; and in international waters on cruise ships that are registered in the UK.

DCMS & Culture

Dormant Asset Fund - consultation

Following the enactment of the Dormant Assets Act 2022, the Government has launched a public consultation on the social and environmental causes that should benefit from £738 million of dormant assets funding in England. The review will decide whether the three causes of youth, financial inclusion and social investment remain the right causes for where funding from dormant assets can be allocated. Responses are being collected here, with a closing date of 9 October.

Research Report on Volunteering & Young People

The Institute for Community Studies has published a report titled ‘Volunteering Journeys: Growing the Youth Volunteering Generation.’ It assesses the views young people hold on volunteering and how the process could be ‘reshaped to strengthen and sustain their life-long participation.’ The data has been taken from a rapid evidence review, stakeholder workshops, surveys, interviews and more.

Create Growth Programme – Expression of Interest period closed

The EOI period to apply for the Create Growth Programme has now closed. This programme will support creative businesses for the financial year 2022/23 - 2024/25. The deadline for shortlisted applicants to submit full applications is Thursday 25 August, with the final decision on successful applicants being announced in September.

Confirmation of Grade II Listed Status for Ukranian Cross

A Cross built in the UK by Ukranian refugees in 1948 has been granted listed status. On 21 July, Ukranian refugees visited the Cross in Mylor Bridge, Cornwall with Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston and Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK Taras Krykun.

Planning

Levelling Up Fund - bidding open for second round

Round Two of the Levelling Up Fund is now open for bids, with a deadline of 2 August. The application form and guidance for this round can be found here. This will build on round one, which saw £1.7 billion awarded to 105 successful projects across the UK, including funding towards improving town centres, boosting local transport links and supporting cultural and historical assets.

Al Fresco Dining to be Extended & Made Permanent

Following on from the temporary changes during covid, there will be an extension on al fresco dining until it becomes permanent in Spring as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. This will allow pubs, cafes and restaurants to continue serving customers outside on pavements and pedestrianised roads.

Guidance Update – Pavement Licenses

There has been a guidance update on pavement licences to include the change to the Business and Planning Act Regulations 2022. All updates can be viewed here.

Business Rates Heat Network Relief: Local Authority Guidance

Guidance has been published to support England’s local authorities in applying the heat networks relief for 2022/23, including the criteria on the Heat Networks Relief Scheme. The guidance includes how heat network relief will be provided, which properties will benefit, how much relief will be available and other information which can be read in full here.

Quarterly Report on Intergovernmental Relations Published

The Intergovernmental Relations Quarterly Report Quarter 2 2022 covering 1 April – 30 June has been published. It includes a section on delivering cultural programmes across the UK which looks at the UK City of Culture competition. The full report can be accessed here.

Environment

25 Year Environment Plan – Progress Report

The Government has published the second Annual Progress Report for the 25 Year Environment Plan (April 2021 to March 2022). Under the section on ‘enhanced beauty, heritage, and engagement with the natural environment’ (pages 38 – 42) the report sets out actions having an impact on environmental improvement now and in the future.

Measures to Tackle Flooding

It has been announced that communities suffering repeated flooding will benefit from a new ring-fenced £100 million Frequently Flooded Allowance designed to better protect their properties. The funding will be targeted at eligible communities where 10 or more properties have flooded twice or more in the last 10 years, helping to both accelerate existing projects and deliver new ones. Around 80 schemes are anticipated to receive support over the next four years.

The Government has also committed to improving reservoir safety through reforms to the regulatory regime and modernisation of the Reservoirs Act 1975. It has accepted all of the recommendations of the second part on an independent review and the reforms are expected to ensure the ongoing safety of critical infrastructure to reduce the risk of flooding for areas located downstream of reservoirs.

Plans to Reduce Air Pollution

Defra has announced a new round of Air Quality Grants for local authorities, to support the improvement of air quality. Local councils can bid for a portion of the additional funding until Friday 23 September. The guidance on the air quality grant scheme has been updated with application guidance. The guidance on clean air zones (aimed at business operating in clean air zones) has also recently been updated to reflect changes in Bradford, Tyneside, Sheffield and Bristol.

Tourism & Hospitality

DMO Review & New Accreditation Scheme for Tourism Boards

The Government has proposed a 'radical restructuring’ to tourism boards, in line with its review of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs). DCMS will fund a new accreditation scheme, developed and administered by VisitEngland, for the highest performing DMOs – which will be renamed ‘Local Visitor Economy Partnerships’.

The Government hopes this will streamline DMOs, which have been found to be ‘overcrowded and fragmented’ and impose a simpler structure for accredited tourism boards to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for visitors to find out all they need to know about a local area. The full Government response can now be read here.

You can read The Heritage Alliance response to the Independent Review of DMOs consultation under ‘publications’(reflecting views and evidence from our members) under ‘publications’ our website.

HS2 – First 64-Mile Tunnel Completed

The 2000-tonne tunnel boring machine created for HS2 – named ‘Dorothy’ – has completed the project’s first 64-mile tunnel after 8 months underground. Dorothy is one of 10 custom-built tunnel boring machines for the project, creating a tunnel network to connect railway routes between London and Manchester, which has been ‘specially designed to protect the ancient woodland and complex ecosystem above’. The material excavated from the tunnel will be reused to build a soil ‘roof’ around the tunnel entrance.

Interim Chair of the British Tourist Authority - term extended

The Secretary of State for DCMS has extended Dame Judith Macgregor’s term as Interim Chair of the British Tourist Authority, for a period of three months.

Parliamentary & Other Government News

• Last Wednesday (20 July), Questions to the COP26 President, Alok Sharma were held in the House of Commons, focusing on steps the Government plan to take to help ensure the long-term effectiveness of COP26 outcomes ‘after the transition to (a) a new Prime Minister and (b) an Egyptian presidency of COP’.
• Recent Gov appointments:
  • Professor Clare Anderson, Lance Batchelor, Sir Stephen Deuchar, Murdoch MacLennan, William Nye and Professor Andrew Thompson have been appointed as Trustees of the Royal Museums Greenwich.
  • Kate de Rothschild-Agius, Dr Ashok Roy and Timothy Schroder have been reappointed as Trustees of the Wallace Collection.
  • Alan Lovell has been appointed as Environment Agency Chair.

Sector Digest

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

South Asian Heritage Month

From 18 July to 17 August, organisations are celebrating South Asian Heritage Month, with the focus this year being on ‘Journeys of Empire.’ The National Lottery Heritage Fund [Alliance Member] has shared a list of projects they have supported which celebrate and explore South Asian heritage. Historic England have also written an article titled ‘A Brief History of Gurdwaras in England’, looking at places of worship for Sikhs. Further information on events throughout the month can be viewed here.

Benefact Trust – Latest Grants Information

The Heritage Skills for Christian Buildings grants programme by Benefact Trust has opened for eligible applicants. This focuses on training specific individuals in areas including stonemasonry, lime plastering, carpentry / joinery and more. Interested participants can view further information here.

The Brighter Lives programme supports Christian organisations to train churches and Christian charities to understand mental health and provide resources. Information on the grant, including FAQs and how to apply is also available.

Historic England - Funding for 57 Working Class Heritage Projects

Historic England’s Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories is set to fund 57 new projects to explore untold stories. The projects are ‘community-led and people focused’ with the aim of providing volunteering opportunities. The projects include the Youth Blacksmithing Programme (Birmingham), Talking Shop: Stories from Stevenage Town Centre (Stevenage) and Exploring Leicester’s Hidden Nightlife (Leicester). A full list of projects is available on the webpage.

Historic England – Rare Shipwrecks Granted Protection

Three shipwrecks including 13th century Mortar Wreck (Dorset) as well as Isle of Wight’s 16th century Shingles Bank Wreck NW96 and 17th century Shingles Bank Wreck NW68 have been given the highest level of protection for wrecks, through the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 which currently safeguards 57 Wreck sites. Wessex Archaeology [Alliance member] were commissioned to undertake a site assessment of the latter two wrecks.

London Gardens Trust – Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens

The Court of Appeal has now rejected two applications by the Government to appeal against a court ruling from April 2022, which saw ‘no real prospect’ of their success in building Adjaye Associates’ National Holocaust Memorial for Victoria Tower Gardens in Westminster.

Among the critics of the project is London Gardens Trust [Alliance member], who have created the ‘Save Victoria Gardens’ campaign – who “hope that revised plans for a memorial near to Parliament can co-exist with a substantial education centre in a more suitable setting”.

Church Organ Installed in London Bridge Station

A Victorian church organ has been installed in London Bridge station from the charity Pipe up For Church Organs. This particular organ was made around 1800 and rescued from United Reformed Church in Whetstone, north London. From Saturday, members of the public will be able to play the instrument at the station.

Instant Pulse - Weeks 7 & 8

The results from Week 7 of the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s [Alliance Member] Instant Pulse show that 74% of participants agree that opportunities exist to network and learn from others in the sector.

The question for Week 8 is ‘The on-going general increase in prices is having a severe impact on our organisation’s capacity to survive, deliver and achieve our mission.’ The poll can be answered here.

NCVO – Time Well Spent Report

NCVO has published ‘Time Well Spent’, a report into how covid-19 has changed the volunteer experience. The research shows that volunteering was impacted immensely by the pandemic in terms of management, organisation and experience. Whilst virtual volunteering was successful in engaging a range of new volunteers, others stopped volunteering due to risk of health which continues to be a concern.

Alliance Member News

A snapshot of the current work of our members.

Consultations

Open Consultations (with closing dates):

• DfE - Regulating alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications at level 3 – 10 August

• DEFRA – Consultation on the principles of marine net gain – 30 August

• Cabinet Office - Standards for ethnicity data – 30 August

• Charity Commission – proposed changes to the Annual Return – 1 September

• DfT - High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Additional Provision 1 Environmental Statement and Supplementary Environmental Statement 1 Consultation – 1 September

• HM Treasury - Consultation on the proposed reform of the UK’s sovereign immunity from direct tax policy. – 12 September

• DCMS – Developing a tourist accommodation registration scheme in England – 21 September

• DEFRA - Highly Protected Marine Areas pilot sites – 28 September

Events

Upcoming Heritage Events - Quick Look

• 16 – 31 July: Festival of Archaeology 2022, CBA - in person/ online events

• 9 Aug: The Country Gentry and the Country Town c1680-1830 – online lecture; Georgian Group

• 6 Sept: Thomas Robins and the Art of the Georgian Garden – online lecture; Georgian Group

• 6 Sept: Growing Your Community – A Visit to Carluke High Mill, HTN

• 22 Sept: The Mausoleum Revisited - The Annual Lecture of The Mausolea & Monuments Trust – London

• 8 Oct: Europa Nostra UK - Young Professionals at Bishop Auckland

• 12 Oct: STBA/SPAB Annual Conference: Sustaining Buildings 2022 - Edinburgh
• 12 – 14 Oct: AHI Conference 2022 - Y cysylltiad / The connection, AHI

• 18 Oct: Georgian Changes at Fulham Palace – lecture (London); Georgian Group

• 3 Nov: Architecture & Health, 1660-1830 – Symposium (London); Georgian Group

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

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

• (Postponed: The 2022 Tourism Conference - Changes During Recovery – London)

Courses

Upcoming Heritage Courses:

• 6 Aug - 3 Sept: Tracing Your Female Ancestors, Society of Genealogists
• 6 Sept - 8 Nov: Lost in London, Society of Genealogists
• 7 & 14 Sept: Setting Up a New Museum (two-part workshop), AIM
• 15 Sept: An Introduction to Lime in Building, SPAB
• 16 Sept: Hot Limes in Building, SPAB

• 4 Oct – 1 Nov: Developing Anti-Racist Practice in Museums, GEM

• 7 - 8 Oct: An Introduction to Plain Lime Plastering, SPAB
• 17 – 21 Oct: The Repair of Old Buildings Course, SPAB
• 17 Oct - 26 Nov: Understanding Your Old House Course, SPAB
• 5 Nov 2022 - 10 Dec 2022: Researching 17th Century Ancestors, Society of Genealogists
• 9 Nov - 14 Dec 2022: Heritage Interpretation Online, AHI

Developing Anti-Racist Practice in Museums - GEM

In this four-part course, GEM [Alliance member] will take stock of, explore, and develop anti-racism practice in relation to all aspects of your role within your museum.

Whilst focusing on the objects & collections, audiences & communities that you work with, this course will be an opportunity to build skills, capacity, and commitment to the development of anti-racism practices. In these workshops there will be space to think about, reflect on and discuss the complex, interwoven themes and subjects that relate to anti-racist practice in all areas of our work.

Dates: 4,11,18 Oct and 1 November 2022
Location: Online

Jobs

Salaried

Unsalaried

Notes & Subscriptions

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

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 22.8k 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 474 - Thurs 11 August (content deadline: 5 August)
• Issue 475 – Thurs 25 August (content deadline: 19 August)
• Issue 476 - Thurs 8 September (content deadline: 2 September)
• Issue 477 - Thurs 22 September (content deadline: 16 September)

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.

Unsubscribe?

If you no longer wish to be on the mailing list for Heritage Update, please scroll to the very end of this email and click 'Unsubscribe'.

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

Image credits (in order of appearance): The Landmark Trust; Waterloo Uncovered; English Heritage; Heritage Open Days; Wessex Archaeology; The SPAB; National Historic Ships UK. Details of the header image are listed at the top of each issue.