National Lottery Heritage Fund Resilient Heritage Project

Team

Resilient Heritage Project Manager and Strategic Plan- Alice Yates

Independent Review – Daniel Rose

Trustee Oversight – Rosie Fraser

Critical Friend- Heritage Lincolnshire

Volunteer Support – Philip Smith

Brand Design – Trevor Wilson

Training and workshops – Perdita Hunt, Read Consultancy, Daniel Rose Consultancy, Eastside Primetimers, The Regeneration Practice, Alice Yates.

Options Appraisal Lead Consultant – Butler Hegarty Architects

Options Appraisal Project Manager – Rosie Shaw

Project Costs

£68,886 (Exc. VAT)

The aim of the Resilient Heritage project was to undertake work that would help strengthen the organization, and bring our experience of working with Heritage at Risk to a wider audience. So far we had been operating using just one part-time Project Organiser, seeking the ideal revolving-fund project, and working with Historic England and local authorities to reduce the amount of ‘Heritage at Risk’ in London. This had created a strong track record of project delivery, but we needed to know how to position ourselves in light of current trends and new funding opportunities. We also needed to know what type of projects to focus on, and how to sustain ourselves.

We commissioned an Independent Review from Daniel Rose, a consultant with London-based experience, to help answer these questions; and took time to digest and debate his recommendations. Trustees and freelance staff participated in an Away Day, and workshops on Governance, Fundraising and Social Impact. The outcomes of these sessions were used to inform the development of a Strategic Plan, prepared by Alice Yates with Rosie Fraser and Liz Bates.

Work to implement the Strategic Plan commenced in October 2019 following the appointment of Celia Mead as Interim Director. (A temporary position made possible by a grant from the Pilgrim Trust.)

The Trust would like to thank the following for providing gifts in kind: Smith and Brooke Architects (meeting room), Alan Baxter Ltd (seminar venue) and Paul Latham (workshop 1).

Seminar: ‘Taking Stock‘ profiled three NLHF Resilient Heritage projects- the challenges, opportunities, and triumphs. A short film of the day, including top tips for your own Resilient Heritage project, is below.

Community Workshops on Early Stage Project Work

As part of the Resilient Heritage project we ran a series of workshops designed to support volunteer led groups.

Workshop 1: Conservation vs Sustainability. Paul Latham, who has decades of experience as a skilled conservation architect, and has successfully led a number of our previous projects, explained the factors he considers important when developing a sympathetic, yet sustainable re-use scheme. For more information see the workshop presentation.

Workshop 2: South Ealing Cemetery Chapels: Options Appraisal & visit. Rosie Shaw and Trustee Stephen Enthoven led discussion on the steps involved in developing the brief, and procuring a professional team for the Options Appraisal. For more information on the Options Appraisal, please visit the dedicated Project Page.

Workshop 3: Asset Transfer and Partnerships. Daniel Rose took attendees through the asset transfer process, and outlined the opportunities that exist for interested groups in London and elsewhere, and the significant role of partnerships in the process. For more information see the workshop presentation.

Workshop 4: Fundraising for Historic Buildings. Alice Yates provided tips for securing funds from private sources, including trusts and foundations and private donors. For more information see the workshop presentation.

Workshop 5: Feasibility Study or Options Appraisal? Alice Yates and Daniel Rose for the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), helped participants understand which study was most appropriate, how to write a brief, how to secure AHF funding, and guided them through the interview process. For more information see the workshop presentation.