News

9 Feb

In this edition of the POWF Newsletter, Dr. Emily Johnston and Dr. Lizzie Swarbrick share an update on Research in Action on Church Heritage (ReACH), a project addressing the urgent challenge of church closures across Scotland. The initiative has launched a symposium, established a Heritage Action Group, and is building a comprehensive database of Scotland's 860+ churches at risk. Dr Emily Johnston FSAScot is ReACH's Communities Officer. She joined the team in August 2025 after her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, specialising in community engagement in archaeology. Dr Lizzie Swarbrick is the Research Manager for ReACH and is an art and architectural historian, specialising in Scottish medieval churches.