Heritage Counts 2007, the sixth annual survey of the state of the historic environment, was launched on Thursday 1 November at the South East Historic Environment Forum held at Shaw House in Newbury, Berkshire. The grade I listed property has recently been restored to its former glory after a £6 million restoration project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage, Vodafone and West Berkshire Council.
Heritage Counts is prepared by English Heritage on behalf of the Historic Environment Review Executive Committee and the Regional Historic Environment Forums and is a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of the country's heritage. It looks at principal trends since 2002, examines the historic environment as a learning resource and looks at the issues faced by the sector in relation to the skills of the workforce required to maintain the historic fabric of our towns, cities and countryside.
Education and skills is the main theme of this year's South East Heritage Counts report. Skills shortages in specialist crafts such as bricklaying, carpentry and roofing continue to be a cause for concern. The report highlights the drive to address the South East's acute shortage of traditional skills identified two years ago in a National Heritage Training Group (NHTG) report.
The report said that over 700 additional people were needed in the South East in the following 12 months to meet immediate demand in order to maintain, repair and restore the region's heritage. This research is currently being repeated and new findings will be released in 2008.
Since the publication of the NHTG report, the heritage sector has responded with considerable commitment to initiate projects to address these needs. The Shaw House restoration work is highlighted as a 'beacon' project for promoting traditional skills development and rewarding those craftsmen and women who worked on the project. Shaw House is now a venue for local educational and cultural activities.
Dr Andy Brown, English Heritage Regional Director for the South East said:
"It is vital we retain the skills required to sustain the unique heritage of the South East. The Shaw House restoration project has been outstanding for raising the profile of traditional skills development and for recognising all the craftsmen and women involved. Learning heritage skills can be a very effective way into work for young people and those changing careers and allows us all to contribute to the quality of life in our region."
Lucy Finch, Marketing and Tourism Manager for West Berkshire Council said:
"We're honoured to be hosting this event at Shaw House. It's a really fitting recognition of all the hard work that we and our partners have undertaken to restore this glorious building. We are delighted to share it with our heritage colleagues today."
Other initiatives include seminars and stakeholder meetings organised with support from the Learning and Skills Council and the establishment of a Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme part-funded by £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). In addition, a Historic and Botanic Gardens Bursary Scheme has been set up. This programme is addressing the skills issues with regards to maintaining historic parks, gardens and landscapes. Two such placements were underway in the South East in 2006/07 at Harcourt Arboretum near Oxford and Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.
