Stirling City Heritage Trust – An introduction

Stirling City Heritage Trust was established in 2005 to promote and encourage the conservation, protection and improvement of the historic, architectural and landscape heritage within the City of Stirling. We are a company limited by guarantee (No. 27033) and a Scottish Charity (SC037888). SCHT is one of seven CHT’s across Scotland. Our funding is primarily from Historic Environment Scotland and Stirling Council.

The Trust started out operating a grants scheme and has expanded significantly over the past 15 years. We have progressed from having one full time member of staff (equivalent) to having a team of six, located in our own office at the Barracks in Stirling. The Trust is managed by the Trust Manager with 2 inspectors, a part-time Office Manager, Grants & Outreach Officer and Membership & Marketing Officer.

The 5 year pilot for the Traditional Buildings Health Check scheme (TBHC) was funded by Historic Scotland and CITB and in 2018, the Trustees placed TBHC at the core of our operations, with funding by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), operating chiefly in Stirling and, more recently, exploring expansion to neighbouring towns. This unique membership scheme provides a holistic approach to heritage management, education and awareness, working with building owners to identify and prioritise repairs. This approach has the potential to be of national importance in tackling the serious disrepair of traditional buildings in Scotland and possible expansion is being actively explored. A report on the 5 year pilot is available to download.

In addition to the TBHC, the Trust offers grant funding for building repairs and carries out outreach and education activities. The latter includes work with local schools and organisations, offering apprenticeships and delivery of exhibitions on local heritage. Education is central to the work of the Trust and a variety of events and activities are delivered locally.

Membership of BEFS will provide opportunities for us to share knowledge across the sector gained through our work, especially information and data gathered from the TBHC. It will also hopefully provide ways to raise the profile of the importance of repair and maintenance in securing the future of traditional buildings.