LAUNCHING THE BUILDINGS AT RISK PROJECT THANKS TO THE NATIONAL LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND
The Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust (DHBT) are proud to launch our ‘Buildings at Risk (B@R)’ project, thanks to the latest funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
What is the ‘Buildings at Risk (B@R)’ project?
There are several thousand Grade II listed buildings in Derbyshire, and it is our goal to eventually complete a condition survey on every one of them. Initially, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project will focus on the largest district in Derbyshire, Amber Valley, and then move into Derby city.
This project is flagship in its nature. All listed buildings will be identified within a digital application (app) called Mergin Maps. This allows for real time data input and will show all assessed buildings as colour coded by their condition. Working with our colleagues at the West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust (WMHBT), who developed and trialled the app in their region, an innovative system has been created. This allows our project to alert us to buildings that potentially need assessment. This then creates an ongoing recording system prioritising buildings that are at risk and can be used to inform the decision making to protect these valuable buildings.
The project is the first of its kind in our region and, building on the momentum of the WMHBT’s project, we hope it will help change the way historic buildings are assessed and managed to better protect their futures. The surveys will help the DHBT to better focus their future support and investment for heritage buildings at risk.
What makes a building ‘at risk’?
The definition of a building at risk varies, but usually involves inclusion on an official list or register. This could be compiled by a national body such as Historic England or Cadw in Wales, by a local authority, or by a specialist third sector organisation. Buildings are added to these registers because of concerns about their physical condition, neglect by their owners and/or lack of an economically viable use. The abundance of registers and the fact that in most of England only buildings listed at Grade I and Grade II* are included on national registers, means that estimating the total number of Grade II listed historic buildings at risk in the UK is difficult. That is where projects like DHBT’s ‘Buildings at Risk’ project are useful, as they help to identify buildings which might otherwise be missed.
How can I help and what will be involved with volunteering on the ‘Buildings at Risk’ project?
We are thrilled to announce that this project comes with a unique opportunity to volunteer with the Trust and help us monitor and protect vulnerable historic buildings. Volunteering can be done entirely on your own terms; whenever and wherever you want. Details on initial training and how to sign up for this fantastic opportunity will be available very soon.
Volunteering will be very flexible. There will be guided training on how to download and use the Mergin Maps app as well as update/information sessions led by the project Heritage Development Officer and DHBT Trustees, but you can also dip-in independently when it suits you. The nature of the building surveys also makes them an excellent focus for a social walk. We hope that many new friendships will form from the volunteering network as people connect with the built heritage in their local area. You don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the heritage sector to volunteer with this project, just an inquisitive nature, an interest in local history and enthusiasm to explore. Whether you survey 1 or 100 buildings, your contribution will be helping us to understand the historic landscape of the Derbyshire.
How does the ‘Buildings at Risk’ project fit into DHBT’s other work?
The B@R Project is part of a wider project supported by a £207k grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund over two years called ‘Saving our Heritage for Everyone’. As well as identifying buildings at risk, the project aims to help local enthusiasts to develop the knowledge and skills needed to maintain and restore those historic buildings.
It is with thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players that this project has been made possible.
How can I find out more about the ‘Buildings at Risk’ project and how to get involved?
If you would like to learn more about the B@R project and its wider context within ‘Saving our Heritage for Everyone’, please see our press release below.
Exciting future projects thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund (derbyshirehistoricbuildingstrust.org.uk)
To register your interest in volunteering on the B@R project, please contact: volunteers@derbyshirehistoricbuildingstrust.org.uk
To find out more about how Mergin Maps was used by WMHBT on their B@R project, see their website below.
Follow @dhbtrust on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit our website at www.derbyshirehistoricbuildingstrust.org.uk to find out more and keep updated with our latest news and projects.
Comments