Scottish Historic Buildings Trust are seeking a Development and Engagement Officer (Director’s Office).
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) is a Charity and Building Preservation Trust with over 40 years’ experience saving derelict and redundant buildings throughout the whole of Scotland.
Everyone has driven or walked past a forlorn and unloved historic building at some time. You may have wondered why it isn’t being used or why no one does something with it? The answer is often complex, and the solutions equally so. It takes a special group of people to identify a way forward and restore these buildings to the benefit of the community. SHBT is a dynamic, ambitious and innovative charity that does just that.
The Development and Engagement Officer is a role which will contribute to the fundraising strategy over the next five years; working to expand a newly established donor database through varied engagement work including lectures, conferences, events and publications, as well as managing new supporters’ scheme and corporate sponsorship offer.
This role requires creativity, ambition, and initiative, helping SHBT to achieve realistic fundraising targets for both core support and across ongoing projects. This is an opportunity for someone keen to make a lasting contribution to one of Scotland’s leading heritage organisations.
Reporting to and working closely with the Director of SHBT, you will provide executive assistance through diary and inbox management to coordinate a broad network of contacts. At the heart of your work is direct engagement with potential historic building projects and key stakeholders in support of the Director.
Working closely with colleagues in Events, Projects, Communications and Marketing, you will maximise engagement with donors, private trusts and foundations, and voluntary income in support of our work as Scotland’s largest historic buildings preservation trust and our work across the country.
You will do this by:
- Developing high quality relationships with all categories of donors, being part of a tailored donor acquisition, retention, development and acknowledgment programme.
- Engaging through knowledge: facilitate lectures, tours, conferences, and publications (and helping to develop new fundraising ideas) with the aim to inspire new supporters and donors.
- Championing SHBT’s corporate strategy and its dissemination to key stakeholders, as well as supporting SHBT’s values and vision as integral to current and future projects.
- Developing fundraising initiatives with corporate partners and engaging in the acquisition of new corporate partnerships.
- Supporting implementation of fundraising and public appeals for the purpose of raising unrestricted and restricted funds and engaging new supporters, including launching fundraising appeals via giving platforms such as Crowdfunder.
- Building on the successes of SHBT’s existing relationships with key funders such as Historic Environment Scotland, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Architectural Heritage Fund, Edinburgh World Heritage and others, through the effective management of the current fundraising programme.
- Assisting in the production of strong and compelling cases for support, fundraising information and materials for a wide range of audiences and media, supporting communications and marketing activities, working closely with the relevant colleagues across SHBT.
Key Responsibilities:
- Be the main point of contact for all individual and community giving enquiries and ensure complete, accurate and timely recording of all donor communications, activity and income in the CRM platform, Beacon.
- Manage online giving and donations from a range of sources.
- Work with the Marketing & Communications Manager to produce strong and compelling fundraising content and materials for a wide range of media, including SHBT newsletter, project fundraising appeals, sponsorship proposals and fundraising prospectuses.
- Support the Director and Project Teams in the development of fundraising strategies for each capital project (e.g., Leith Custom House and Edinburgh’s Tron Kirk). Support the recording and management of donation income for major projects, such as Leith Custom House.
- In coordination with the Director, Learning Working Group, Marketing and Events teams, lead the delivery of the autumn/winter lecture series and academic outreach as a key engagement tool to garner support and contacts for SHBT.
- Deliver aspects of the fundraising strategy focused on the charitable mission of the Trust, including the wider appeal to support the maintenance of, and increased public access to, an existing portfolio of historic buildings.
Other Duties
- Provide executive assistance to the Director in terms of calendar and inbox management, correspondence, and facilitate attendance at events.
- With the support of senior colleagues and Trustees, keep up to date with fundraising legislation, data protection, charity legislation, code of practice and all relevant guidelines affecting fundraising and communication practices.
- Comply with health and safety standards, sector standards and the organisation’s insurance policy.
- Develop skills and undertake responsibilities which will fulfil the purpose of the role and support the success of the organisation. Keep up to date with new initiatives and news from across the third sector.
- Working with the Director and relevant local groups, provide fundraising support to consultancy projects, including submitting fundraising applications, producing fundraising materials, and contacting relevant funding prospects.
- To undertake any other duties as requested by and agreed with the Director.
- Give presentations and talks to community groups, funding bodies, donors and stakeholders where required.
- Deliver and attend networking and fundraising events.
- Provide administrative support to the Fundraising and Learning Working Groups.
This role profile is not exhaustive and is subject to review in conjunction with the post holder and according to future changes/developments in the team, strategy and service.
Education & Training
Essential:
- Educated to Degree Level or equivalent experience
Desirable:
- Member of Institute of Fundraising
Job Experience & Skills
Essential:
- Have a clear understanding of the mechanics of successful fundraising and the donor journey with demonstrable experience in individual giving.
- Proven ability in achieving income targets.
- Experience developing relationships with donors and supporters and building up a network of contacts and corporate partnerships.
- Experience of fundraising through social media and digital channels.
- Experience of creating communications material (including e-appeals, websites, and social media communications).
- Excellent IT skills.
- Excellent administrative and organisational skills with ability to plan ahead and work to agreed timeframes.
- Experience of report writing.
Desirable:
- Experience using analytics tools and a CRM system.
- Experience in the fundraising sector.
- Experience of using Mailchimp or similar tools for mass communications.
- Knowledge of regulatory environment for fundraising from individuals including data protection, Gift Aid and fundraising codes of practice and regulation.
- Experience or willingness to learn how to submit funding applications to key funding bodies.
Personal Qualities
Essential:
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Able to work outside office hours by mutual arrangement.
- Outgoing personality and ability to initiate and enjoy direct communication with donors and potential donors.
- Ability to demonstrate excellent customer care attitude and behaviour, therefore committed to building good internal and external relationships, both with colleagues and supporters.
- Demonstrable ability to work on own initiative and to meet objectives and tight deadlines under pressure.
View the Recruitment Brochure for this Appointment
How to Apply
To apply, please send your CV with an attached cover letter outlining why you would be a good fit for this role to recruitment@shbt.org.uk.
Salary: £30,000 per annum
Status: Full-time; 35 hours per week
Location: Riddle’s Court, Edinburgh / Leith Custom House with flexible home working and workspace across SHBT properties
Closing Date: Sunday 24 May 2026
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Planning Democracy are looking for new trustees to join their board.
They are particularly interested in recruiting trustees who have skills in the following areas:
- Governance
- Communications (social media, online resources, website management)
However, they are also keen to hear from anyone who feels that Planning Democracy is an organisation they are interested in getting involved with. They are offering:
Training opportunities: They consider training and support for trustees and volunteers to be really important. Some of the training undertaken in the past includes charity governance, fundraising, social media, book-keeping and public speaking.
Learning opportunities: You will develop an understanding of some fundamental topics such as how the land use planning system in Scotland works, legal issues around Aarhus and European law.
Experience in campaigning and advocacy: Their campaign work involves holding meetings, promoting their manifesto, direct political lobbying, and responding to consultations. Advocacy work includes media campaigns, public speaking, commissioning and publishing research.
Opportunity to travel in Scotland and meet new people: For example each year they hold a great event which allows people to network and meet like-minded people.
Being part of a committed group of people: They are passionate about democracy and the environment. (And also have some fun social events each year!)
If you are interested, contact Chair, Helen Todd on info@planningdemocracy.org.uk and they can then send you an application form and/or have a chat.
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BEFS has drawn together a call to action for the next Scottish Government. Our Manifesto outlines how essential investment is key to unlocking substantial value for public money and driving progress across vital public policy portfolios, including environmental sustainability, skills and economic development, housing, poverty, and health – unlocking the immense potential of our built heritage to deliver warmer homes, local employment, thriving town centres, and much more.
Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) has launched its Manifesto in advance of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections. As the strategic intermediary body for the historic and existing built environment in Scotland, BEFS has drawn together a call to action for the next Scottish Government.
The Manifesto urges the incoming Government to create the conditions for a well-resourced, dynamic, and effective built and historic environment sector; without recognising and leveraging the benefits brought by the sustainable use of Scotland’s existing built assets, critical climate and wellbeing targets will not be met.
The Manifesto outlines how essential investment is key to unlocking substantial value for public money and driving progress across vital public policy portfolios, including environmental sustainability, skills and economic development, housing, poverty, and health – unlocking the immense potential of our built heritage to deliver warmer homes, local employment, thriving town centres, and much more.
Interconnected Benefits for People and Places
The built and historic environment, both rural and urban, contributes profoundly to the quality and character of Scotland’s places, its economy, and the wellbeing of its people. Encompassing everything from ancient monuments and historic buildings to townscapes and public spaces, it influences – and is influenced by – many public policy areas.
BEFS five main Manifesto policy areas are designed to demonstrate how a joined-up and strategic approach will deliver towards the long-term benefit of Scotland’s people and places.
15 Practical Policy Recommendations
BEFS Manifesto features 15 practical policy recommendations and calls on cross-party buy in towards implementation in the next term of Parliament – and beyond.
Culture and Heritage
- Scale up built environment and heritage investment programmes, leveraging value across portfolios
- Support Historic Environment Scotland as the lead public body to leverage the benefits of the historic environment for Scotland’s people and places
- Adopt Fair Funding principles set out by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)
- Additional investments in historic and built environment data collection and research programmes
Climate Emergency and Net Zero
- Investigate the international experience with Material Passport schemes and consider adopting a suitable model in Scotland
- Holistic approach to existing and new climate emergency legislation; ensuring wider policy alignment, and consistent cross-party support beyond parliamentary cycles
Repair, Maintenance and Retrofit
- Implement all three recommendations from the Tenement Maintenance Working Group: Five Yearly Inspections, Compulsory Owners Associations, and Building Reserve Funds
- Establish a Ministerial Oversight Group on Retrofit, to devise and deliver a Retrofit Delivery Plan
- Increase provision of trained specialists to advise planning authorities on sustainability for the existing built environment
Training and Skills
- Invest in a national programme for training delivery across a variety of traditional building and wider construction skills
- Invest in preventative spend across built environment specialisms to meet Net Zero, place-making, and heritage targets, and to reverse the decline of essential skills
- Recognise the cross-cutting benefits of investing both in skills provision and training but also the culture shift required towards greater recognition of these skills as desirable careers
Planning and Placemaking
- Explore development of the Fourth National Planning Framework into a fully interactive online resource including guidance documents and signposts to linked policy initiatives
- Commit to investment in and enabling pathways to bring vacant and derelict land and buildings back into use at scale
- Integrate heritage and tourism activity and aspirations into Community Wealth Building action plans
Download the Full Manifesto here.
Download the shorter version here.
Download the Easy Read version here.
More information, including data, evidence and the details of the themes outlined above can be found in BEFS’s full Manifesto document.
About This Manifesto
BEFS Team would like to thank all Members and stakeholders that contributed their time and expertise to shaping this Manifesto through consultation from March to September 2025
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Sally Pentecost from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland undertook a pioneering advocacy work placement with BEFS from September to December 2024. This pilot programme aimed to upskill heritage professionals in advocacy techniques while testing a new model for sector capacity building. Here, Sally reflects on her experience learning advocacy skills, updating our Advocacy Toolkit, and exploring how heritage organisations can more effectively champion Scotland’s built environment during challenging times.
In a time of a cost-of-living crisis, government cuts, and a growing climate threat, how do we effectively advocate for Scotland’s built environment?
I’m Sally Pentecost FSAScot, Communications & Events Officer at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and from September to December 2024 I undertook a work placement with Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) to learn advocacy skills to bring back to my organisation.
The Placement
A member since the founding of BEFS, the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is a learned society born in the Scottish Enlightenment and to this day is an independent voice for heritage. Thanks to the support of its Fellows, the Society has made its views known on a range of issues relating to Scotland’s heritage sector and the built and historic environment.
With advocacy issues in heritage on the rise, I worked with BEFS to trial a work placement to learn from their skilled team, which I could then apply to an updated BEFS resource, the Advocacy Toolkit.
The intended outcomes of the placement were to increase my knowledge of advocacy within the Scottish heritage sector to a level where I am more confident leading on advocacy activities on behalf of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. It would also “road test” the idea of a BEFS Advocacy Work Placement with the goal of expanding the programme to other BEFS member organisations.
Here is my experience of the placement.
What Worked Well
As expected, the knowledge-sharing benefits of this work placement were substantial. Through my conversations with Jonna Meredith, BEFS Communications & Policy Officer, we discussed the organisation’s plans for a project to improve Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Scottish built environment. I was also able to introduce Jonna to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Scottish Heritage (EDISH) project, and its successor project, ‘White Thinking’ and the Failed Promise of Diversity in Scottish Heritage, which the Society has been involved in.
Representing the Society at the Places of Worship Forum working group helped me to understand how collaboration happens in our sector. It also enabled me to start carving out what I think the Society’s role will be going forward when we increase our advocacy capacity; I’m thinking of the Society as a facilitator, harnessing our independent voice and Fellows network of heritage experts and enthusiasts to respond to consultations, organise letter writing campaigns, provide advice on shaping future projects and supporting funding applications.
Furthermore, my career conversationswith the BEFS staff have been helpful in shaping my career goals and identifying what an advocacy position might look like for me in the future. By the end of the placement, I had road-tested ideas, researched other resources and toolkits, drafted a strategy document for updating the Advocacy Toolkit, refreshed its contents and made suggestions about improving accessibility of the document.
Challenges
Something that became apparent from diving into BEFS and their work is that the term “built environment” means different things to different people. There is also a difference between that term and the “historic environment”. Getting the whole sector to agree on one definition is a difficult thing!
I was also confronted with a lack of data, both in terms of how intended audiences have used the BEFS Advocacy Toolkit in the past, and how successful advocacy resources and campaigns from the wider heritage sector had been. I also struggled to find any recent data on how people in Scotland generally feel about heritage, and where any concern sits among their other priorities, e.g. housing, healthcare and education. I was able to find some helpful data on volunteering numbers in Scotland, and attitudes towards related issues such as the climate emergency, which influenced my strategy for updating the Advocacy Toolkit, but in general, our sector struggles to collect data on public attitudes towards heritage.
The primary challenge during this work placement was a lack of time. We had budgeted for four hours per week, or half a day’s work over three months, for this placement, which turned out to be insufficient to complete my research and implement any suggested changes. On top of that, a poorly timed cold knocked me out for a week. But as a road test for future BEFS Work Placements, this information was useful, and BEFS Director Hazel Johnson noted that future placements could be flexible and consist of half a day over six months or a full day over three months, building in contingency for things like sick leave.
My final challenge was a question that I’m sure many readers will be grappling with in their own work: how do we encourage more diverse voices to get involved in advocacy for Scottish heritage? Both in terms of the people working in advocacy roles, and the public who engage with advocacy. There is no one answer to this, but through the work placement we had many meaningful discussions of how we might tackle this problem. BEFS are actively addressing this challenge.
Insights
Overall, I found the work placement to be highly beneficial, and I look forward to seeing how this programme develops in the future as BEFS continues to upskill and provide support for the Scottish heritage sector.
The sector has a series of resources and toolkits designed to support volunteering and advocacy – for example, the Make Your Mark Inclusive Volunteering Toolkit, the Social Value toolkit, the BEFS Sustainable Investment Tool (SIT), and the Place Standard tool – but in my opinion, they’re not yet joined up, and are not implemented or promoted as well as they could be.
BEFS is exploring the idea of creating a checklist or route map for all these relevant toolkits, creating a process to guide workers in the sector on when and how to use them to assist in their advocacy campaigns.
At the end of the work placement, the Society and BEFS also discussed the issue of how we set the messaging for advocacy issues in the sector. What are the key thematic messages or areas that drive advocacy (e.g. the move to Net Zero) and what should the messaging from the sector be? Again, in any area of advocacy, it’s difficult to get all organisations to sing the same tune, but through their working groups, the BEFS communications team assists in coordinating efforts and developing the messaging that we as a sector should be amplifying to get important messages across. This is something I hope the Society can also contribute to in the future.
During this work placement, I learned that the heart of advocacy work is pushing for new legislation that increases quality of life for regular citizens. Due to their focus, BEFS uses the built environment as their route into fulfilling this broader objective and I believe that the Society has the opportunity to do the same.
We know that research into Scotland’s past – our historic landscapes and the experiences of the people who lived here before us – is essential for informing how we can respond to social, political and environmental challenges today and in the future. Shared exploration of Scotland’s past also contributes to building relationships, improving mental and physical wellbeing, and creating a sense of identity and placemaking, which is all crucial for a flourishing society.
BEFS is supporting its member organisations to advocate for this future, one cause at a time.
Sally Pentecost FSAScot is Communications & Events Officer at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
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The Archaeology Forum (TAF) has published a new leaflet, with the purpose of promoting archaeology to audiences unfamiliar with the subject and the wide range of positive effects it can have for people and society.
- informs change
- unleashes creativity
- drives innovation
- sustains growth, and
- improves wellbeing
As the aim of the leaflet is to help everyone promote a better understanding of what archaeology is, does and could do more of outside of the sector, please feel free to download and share widely.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) are developing an online training course for planners about the historic environment.
The scope of the course is to provide in-depth knowledge and practical guidance, empowering planners to make informed decisions about the historic environment. It will cover a range of topics but will have a clear focus on understanding legislation and policy around the historic environment and change management, roles and responsibilities, and how to find/apply key guidance.
HES has commissioned the Diffley Partnership to engage with stakeholders and conduct a training needs analysis (TNA) to inform the development of this course. Your input is essential in helping design relevant and impactful training.
You can get involved in two simple ways:
- Attend a TNA workshop. This will be a collaborative online session (less than 2 hours) where you can share your thoughts on training needs for planning authorities around the historic environment. Please register your interest in attending a workshop by Monday 28 July. A privacy notice and participant information sheet is available to view as linked on the registration form. The workshops are being hosted by the Diffley Partnership who will be in touch later to confirm the dates and times for the workshops that work for most people.
- Complete an online survey. This will ask questions about what you see as the current skills gaps and priorities for learning. The survey is particularly directed towards planners as the learner group but responses from all stakeholders are welcomed. The survey (hosted by HES on Citizen Space) is open until Friday 22 August.
You can also sign up to the mailing list to stay informed. You will receive updates on future opportunities to share your views and help shape the direction of the project. Sign up here.
However you choose to share your views, your contribution will help shape future learning and development efforts. If you have any questions or would prefer to share your thoughts directly, please contact heritagepolicy@hes.scot
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Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has awarded £574,075 in funding to the Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) as part of the HES Partnership Fund. The Fund supports organisations working to promote, celebrate and enhance Scotland’s rich and diverse heritage.
BEFS is delighted to announce that it is one of seven organisations to receive Partnership Funding in 2025. The award will support BEFS in its core activity and work over the next three years, encouraging cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration to benefit the resilience of Scotland’s historic and existing built environment, and in delivering Our Past, Our Future, Scotland’s strategy for the Historic Environment.
Over the funding period 2025-2028 BEFS will continue to work to increase sector capacity to engage holistically with key legislation, policy, and strategy; amplifying the value of the historic environment to Scotland’s economy, environment, culture and society and advocating for the existing and historic built environment across a number of key policy areas including the journey to net zero, traditional construction skills, retrofit and planning.
With continued HES support BEFS looks forward to working with Members, stakeholders and partners – towards a resilient and sustainable sector and sustainable places for the future, amidst the economic and environmental challenges ahead.
Hazel Johnson, Director of BEFS, said,
“We are extremely grateful to Historic Environment Scotland for this renewed investment and continued commitment to a strategic and partnership led approach and look forward to working together over the next three years, towards a resilient historic environment and positive outcomes for Scotland’s people and places. This funding will allow us to build, strengthen, and deepen BEFS impact and ability to deliver across all areas of our work, working closely with BEFS Members and the wider sector.”
Gail Williamson, Grants Operations Manager at HES, said,
“We are proud to support the historic environment sector through our Partnership Fund award to BEFS. By advocating for the historic environment and engaging with policy initiatives on behalf of the sector, BEFS is one of the keystones of Scotland’s built heritage. Our ongoing partnership enhances our individual efforts, delivering greater benefits through effective collaboration. We are pleased to continue our work with them and support the delivery of Our Past, Our Future, Scotland’s national strategy for the historic environment.”
For further information visit: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/
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BEFS Director explores the current and very real impacts of faith owners divesting of significant portions of their estate and the implications for Scotland’s people and places; for the economy, net zero and climate targets, and wellbeing.
Across Scotland, churches and places of worship are for sale at a speed and scale that has not been seen before. There can be many reasons for a place of worship to require new stewardship, from diminishing congregations and changing demographics to a decline in the condition of the building itself. These are places which may have special status or designation, hold a significant and sensitive place in the lives of communities of place, practice and of interest, as well as being a major part of the town/city/village-scape in which they are found.
The Places of Worship Forum (POWF), for which BEFS provides secretariat, works to create a combined and strengthened voice for a sustainable future for places of worship in transition across Scotland – both in, and beyond, worship. To do this, there must be a baseline understanding of the issue amongst owners, communities, funders, local authorities and national government.
Why is it a crucial time for places of worship?
The current and very real impacts of faith owners divesting of significant portions of their estate has cross-cutting impacts – and implications – for Scotland’s people and places; for the economy, net zero and climate targets, and wellbeing; these sites are too important to our communities, and our places, to not deserve strategic thought to ensure sustainable futures.
From streetscape to vital local service, this issue is a national civic concern rather than solely a religious or denominational matter. Communities, as well as congregations, all over the country are faced with deciding how to respond. It is about all our places, and their people, regardless of faith or inclination.
These spaces also support cultural activity, as local venues, meeting places and hubs for events. They give a home to important services such as foodbanks and community meals. We stand to lose not only the buildings themselves, but also the important roles that they currently fulfil within society.
As the number of communities across Scotland buying their local church or place of worship grows, the issue becomes systemic, and the challenges experienced by communities and their places of worship are not one-off examples:
- How to address the potential loss of the amenities that these community buildings provide?
- How to manage situations where multiple places of worship are sold/bought but there is no capacity to run them?
- How can communities find out about and leverage funding?
- Should a community be unable to reach a consensus as to how to proceed, what can be done, and to whom do they turn for advice?
Seeking solutions: Supporting Net Zero, Economic Recovery and a Just Transition
These places of worship are a key part of our existing built and historic environment. We know that our existing built environment can support economic recovery, community wealth building, and a just green transition if championed and understood. It is:
- central to a potentially expanding skilled workforce, maintaining and appropriately adapting our environment, harnessing long term economic and environmental benefits
- contributing to a growing employment market – where repairing, reusing and adapting our built environment is a vital aspect of economic recovery and towards delivering Net Zero
- as a key resource, essential to Scotland’s tourism offer
- as a focal point of regenerative strategies (particularly in relation to High Street decline, and Town Centre Regeneration) enabling a sense of place and belonging
- providing skilled employment, as places designed to promote wellbeing, and adaptive buildings suited to new futures.
A joined-up approach – across the policy landscape
If considered as part of holistic placemaking – for example as a consideration in Local Development Planning and regional spatial strategies – the impact could be significant.
The recent announcement of a new Planning Hub, sitting with the Improvement Service, could reflect and address the issue as a national priority. Positive outcomes for these places will be (like all planning decisions) both specific to each case, towards the best individual decisions for these buildings, places, congregations, and communities. Some will make incredible homes; some will provide community spaces, and some will remain in worshipful use for many years to come.
BEFS has previously lobbied for coordinated action and knowledge; co-ordination of the data on assets – cultural or otherwise – can enable a joined-up approach to decision making, informing action when considering the potential for assets to be transferred into community hands. Towards good places, the ‘right asset in the right place’, to know what might be coming on to the market and when, thus enabling a proactive rather than a reactive approach.
A previous lack of political appetite to engage may well be changing, given the scale of the buildings now at risk, and as MSPs are approached by their constituents. The message that reaches them must be clear, coordinated and unified in its approach; inaction will not ensure positive outcomes for people and place. Investment and support, multi-partner initiatives and solutions across sectors, directorates and portfolios will – working towards achieving Net Zero as part of strategic planning and placemaking decisions.
Places of Worship Forum (POWF) | Seeking strategic solutions for places of worship in transition
The Places of Worship Forum member organisations are committed to supporting places of worship across Scotland and aim to create a combined and strengthened voice for the sustainable future for places of worship – both in, and beyond, worship. POWF members engage with communities, assist in the transition process, and provide valuable resources.
To find out more about POWF please visit the website or contact hjohnson@befs.org.uk.
USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES:
This guidance has been developed by the Community Ownership Support Service, Heritage Trust Network and Historic Churches Scotland to meet a growing need from communities for specific guidance around churches and accompanying land. Taking over a building of any type is a big step for a community and brings with it substantial responsibility. It can appear a daunting prospect, but this document has been designed to guide you through the process.
This report describes the outcomes of ‘Bridging the Gap’, which was a pilot research project conducted by The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), Historic Churches Scotland (HCS), Heritage Trust Network and Churches Trust for Cumbria (CTfC). From January to August 2022 the partners worked with community groups in rural areas in southern Scotland and northern England, to explore the barriers surrounding sustainable community ownership of church buildings.
Scotland’s Churches Trust created an online form, to collate images and recording data in a single location. That can easily be replicated by small local groups, who have identified and sought permission to record their local closing churches, and we have developed a recorders’ handbook with advice and tips to assist with the recording and uploading of each church record to the HES Archives.
The Sustainable Investment Tool – or SIT – was developed to help visualise the different positive aspects associated with existing buildings and their related projects. The SIT can help us plan a sustainable future, have greater understanding of our places, and increase their potential and resilience. Exploring the different values of a place can help identify new ways of thinking, promote greater advocacy for projects, and perhaps enhance new funding and investment opportunities. Using the SIT can help start conversations around the wider benefits and potential that our existing buildings and places can deliver – highlighting the positive outcomes for Wellbeing, Climate, Culture, and Economy.
Historic Environment Scotland blog – Kilmaronock Old Kirk Trust give their top tips for community groups thinking of taking on the running of a historic place of worship.
Image taken at the Building Sustainable Futures for Scottish Churches event in Paisley, at the start of November. Photo, BEFS.
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The University of Edinburgh & Edinburgh World Heritage have published Retrofitting Historic Sash & Case Windows, a quick start guide for homeowners, based on actual retrofit experiences.
The guide was vetted by colleagues from Historic Environment Scotland, Edinburgh World Heritage, and the Edinburgh Council for accuracy and practicality.
For any questions or to obtain printed copies of the guide, please contact: w.victoria.lee@ed.ac.uk
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Your gateway to a career in heritage: discover job opportunities, key organisations, and expert advice in this comprehensive guide for students, graduates, and professionals in the heritage sector.
BEFS is pleased to present the latest edition of the Heritage Careers Guide, compiled by Professor Ian Baxter (Heriot-Watt University) in collaboration with The Heritage Alliance and BEFS.
This comprehensive resource is designed to support students, recent graduates, and professionals looking to start or advance their careers in the heritage sector. The guide offers:
- A curated list of job boards and vacancy announcement platforms specific to the heritage field
- Information on key organisations and institutions in the sector
- Tips for finding and applying for heritage jobs
- Insights into various career paths within the heritage industry
Whether you’re just starting your journey in heritage or looking to make a career change, this guide provides valuable information to help navigate the job market in this dynamic and rewarding field.
The 2024-2025 edition includes updated links and new resources based on feedback from users and industry professionals.
- Access the Guide here.
- Click here to download the Guide.
We encourage you to share this resource widely with colleagues, students, and anyone interested in pursuing a career in heritage.
For any questions or feedback about the guide, please contact info@befs.org.uk
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