Scotland’s heritage volunteers named in nationwide shortlist

‘Angels’ behind the restoration of a memorial tower on Orkney, the safeguarding of a Victorian-built community hall in Glasgow and a Borders-based project that has recorded Scotland’s industrial brick makers are amongst those to have been chosen to go through to the finals of the 2016 Scottish Heritage Angel Awards.

The shortlist for the second annual Scottish Heritage Angel Awards, which is funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, has been revealed today – Thursday 15 September.

Highlighting a diverse range of voluntary activities and projects from across the country, the 12-strong shortlist also includes volunteers behind the recording of monuments within Dunfermline Abbey’s Graveyard, a project exploring the history behind the once grand 18th century Castlemilk House and Estate in Glasgow and a unique film and digital project that encourages people to engage with archaeology and history in a new and exciting way in Dumfries and Galloway and further afield.

Now in its second year, the awards, which welcomed over 50 nominations for heritage volunteers across the length and breadth of the country, will once again recognise and celebrate the efforts of volunteers in helping to better understand, protect and value Scotland’s heritage and history at an awards ceremony in Edinburgh, this October.

Commenting on the 2016 Scottish Heritage Angel Award shortlist, Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose charity established the awards initiative in Scotland, said:

“It is wonderful to shine a light on the endeavours of these Scottish Heritage Angels, whose triumphs of dedication, energy and tenacity might otherwise go unsung. Every one of them is vital to preserving and promoting the richness of Scotland’s heritage. I congratulate them all on their fine achievements.”

Author and broadcaster, Vanessa Collingridge, photographer and Chair of the Scottish Civic Trust, Colin McLean and Georgia Vullinghs, of the Scotland’s Urban Past Youth Forum, will join returning judges Professor John Hume OBE and Andrew Wright OBE, one of Scotland’s foremost conservation architects, to decide on this year’s overall winners across the five categories.

The awards are delivered in partnership with the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, Historic Environment Scotland, Scottish Civic Trust, Archaeology Scotland and the Scottish Government. The scheme supports the delivery of Scotland’s historic environment strategy – Our Place in Time, which places a strong focus on supporting and enabling community participation and engagement across the historic environment.

John Pelan, Director of the Scottish Civic Trust, said:

“This year’s shortlist for the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards once again demonstrates the great scope of volunteer-led heritage work that is being undertaken throughout the country. It’s fantastic to see the enthusiasm and passion that Scotland’s heritage ‘Angels’ contribute to the sector, particularly in the Young Heritage Angel Award, which is a new addition for this year.

“These awards provide us with a real opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate all those behind a wealth of projects and activities, both big and small, and their valuable work, which directly contributes to and benefits Scotland’s wider historic environment.

“Each of the applicants along with this year’s shortlist are to be commended on their impressive achievements to date.”

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said:

“The Scottish Heritage Angel Awards highlight and recognise the outstanding work and diversity of volunteers and community groups across Scotland who work tirelessly, throughout the year, to investigate, protect and share knowledge about Scotland’s rich and diverse heritage.

“The awards also provide an ideal opportunity for us to celebrate Scotland’s wider historic environment and the strength of the connection that so many of our communities feel for the past.  I congratulate all of the ‘Heritage Angels’ shortlisted for these awards and wish them continued success in their communities.”

Shortlisted ‘Angels’ have been invited to attend the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards ceremony, hosted by Vanessa Collingridge, to be held at the centuries-old Assembly Rooms, on Edinburgh’s George Street, on Tuesday 18th October, where the overall winner of each category will be announced.

To view the full details of the official shortlist for this year’s Scottish Heritage Angel Awards please visit www.scottishheritageangelawards.org.uk

Investigating and Recording:

• Baberton Mains History Group for their social history and heritage project exploring the 1970s Wimpey Baberton Mains housing estate development, Edinburgh
• Castlemilk Park’s Local History Group for the How Old are Yew? Project, looking into the history of the now demolished Castlemilk House and its grounds, Glasgow
• Mark Cranston for his work focussing on a unique part of Scotland’s industrial heritage in recording Scottish brick makers and brick markings, Scottish Borders

Caring and Protecting:

• Jess Smith for her work to ensure the safeguarding of Tinker’s Heart and celebrating Scotland’s traveller community and their culture, Perthshire – with the project being undertaken in Argyll and Bute
• Volunteers at Scotland’s Jute Museum @ Verdant Works for their efforts towards the £2.9million High Mill Open Gallery Project which brought a derelict building back into community use as well as the conservation and display of previously unseen objects from the museum’s collection, Dundee
• Neil Kermode and the Orkney Heritage Society Kitchener Memorial Working Group for the centenary year restoration of The Kitchener Memorial to better remember all those who lost their lives on HMS Hampshire on 5th June 1916, Orkney

Sharing and Celebrating:

• The Dig It! TV Team for their volunteer-led YouTube channel which aims to engage people with Scotland’s history in a new and exciting way and encourage them to discover their own local history and heritage for themselves, Edinburgh and throughout the country
• Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust for the restoration and bringing back in to community use the Victorian-built Burgh Halls as well as the safeguarding of an important collection of objects, Glasgow
• The Friends of Kinneil for their on-going dedication in promoting the rich history and heritage of Kinneil House, its Museum, Estate and Nature Reserve, Bo’ness

Young Heritage Angel Award:

• The DigTV Young Volunteer Group for their work with the Whithorn Trust to engage people with archaeology and history through film and digital media, Dumfries and Galloway
• Dunfermline Young Archaeologists’ Club for the recording of graves and monuments as part of the Dunfermline Abbey Graveyard Project led by Dunfermline Heritage Community Projects, Fife
• Junior Park Rangers for their work in Holyrood Park contributing towards looking after the royal Park’s heritage and raising awareness of a safer countryside for all, Edinburgh

Lifetime Contribution to the Historic Environment:

• The overall winner of this category will be announced at the awards ceremony in October.

1. Investigating and Recording - Volunteer/community-based projects recording local history and heritage.
2. Caring and Protecting - Volunteer-led involvement in saving/restoring heritage sites and buildings.
3. Sharing and celebrating - Volunteer-led projects promoting local history, architecture and archaeology.
4. Young Heritage Angel Award - Best contribution by young people to a heritage project.
5. Lifetime Contribution to the Historic Environment - This category celebrates and recognises the work of individuals and the lifetime contribution that they’ve made to the wider benefit of Scotland’s historic environment.

The Scottish Heritage Angel Awards are supported by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. The initiative is a partnership between the Foundation, Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Civic Trust, and Archaeology Scotland.

The awards programme supports the delivery of Scotland’s Historic Environment Strategy, Our Place in Time, with its strong emphasis on community participation in heritage.

www.scottishheritageangelawards.org.uk
Twitter: @ScotAngelAwards

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation was set up by Andrew in 1992 to promote the arts, culture and heritage for the public benefit; since inception Andrew has been the principal provider of funding for all its charitable activities.

In 2010, the Foundation embarked on an active grant giving programme and has now awarded grants of more than £13.6m to support high quality training and personal development as well as other projects that make a real difference to enrich the quality of life both for individuals and within local communities.  Significant grants include £3.5m to Arts Educational Schools, London to create a state of the art professional theatre, £2.4m to The Music in Secondary Schools Trust £1m to The Architectural Heritage Fund, $1.3m to the American Theatre Wing and over £350,000 annually to fund 30 performing arts scholarships for talented students in financial need. 

In 2015, the Foundation awarded over £1.5million in 46 new grants to organisations, made 17 grants totalling £860k to projects in their second and third year of funding and provided 30 musical theatre scholarships worth over £300k to young performers on the brink of their careers. The grants focus on the enhancement of arts education and participation, improving access to the arts for all, and increasing diversity across the arts, culture and heritage sector.

www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com
Twitter:  @ALWFoundation

As of the 1st October 2015, Historic Scotland and RCAHMS came together to form a new lead public body charged with caring for, protecting and promoting the historic environment. The new body Historic Environment Scotland (HES) will lead on delivering Scotland’s first strategy for the historic environment, Our Place in Time.

Historic Scotland is a sub brand of Scotland’s new public heritage body, Historic Environment Scotland.

Historic Environment Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity. Scottish Charity No. SC045925

Scotland’s Urban Past is a five year community engagement project led by Historic Environment Scotland and supported by the National Lottery with a grant of £1.65m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

You can keep up to date with news from Historic Environment Scotland and register for media release email alerts here. If you wish to unsubscribe, please contact us. 

2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design:

• 2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.
• The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design started on 1 January 2016 and will end on 31 December 2016. It will build on the momentum generated by the current 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
• Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed creative industries sector.
• The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).
• The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.

For further information on the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards, please contact:

Contact: Grant Thomson, Communications Officer, Historic Environment Scotland
Direct line: 0131 668 8603                             
Mobile: 07580 702 611
Email: grant.thomson@hes.scot

For further information on the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, please contact:

Contact: Truda Spruyt or Chloe Davies, Four Colman Getty
Direct line: 0203 697 4248 or 4251                            
Mobile: 07580 702 611
Email: truda.spruyt@fourcommunications.com or chloe.davies@fourcommunications.com