Heritage Link

Heritage Link is a UK-registered charity (Registered Number 1094793; registered 27 Nov 2002) formed by Marcus Binney and Christopher Catling [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/the_hitch/article802363.ece] , with financial support from the National Trust [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk] and English Heritage [http://www.www.english-heritage.org.uk] to raise the profile of volunteers working in the heritage sector.

Heritage Link brings together nearly 90 voluntary organisations from across the UK, mostly national umbrella bodies, concerned with heritage and representing interests from volunteers, owners, specialist advisers, practitioners and managers to national funding bodies and local building preservation trusts. Much of the historic environment is cared for – supported, managed or owned – by these organisations. They are supported by some 4 million members making it the biggest alliance of heritage interests in England. Although it covers only England in terms of policy, Heritage Link keeps in touch with Built Environment Forum Scotland and with similar sectoral bodies in Wales and Northern Ireland, and with the European umbrella group Europa Nostra.

For current membership and eligibility see [http://www.heritagelink.org.uk/members.asp Membership]

Heritage Link provides a forum for members to formulate and promote policy on core issues as well as a support and information network. In the current period of strategic management members have chosen to prioritise Social Inclusion, Volunteering and Edication issues; Land-use Planning; and Voluntary Sector Funding. Working Groups and Task Groups are responsible for the organisation's activities surrounding these issues. Many resources are available free of charge from the Secretariat and from the organisation's website - link to the site for the contact details.

These include a suite of publications, including:

How We Do It: the scale and scope of voluntary organisations in the heritage sector - November 2006;Making Consultation Matter: A survey of voluntary sector experience of Local Authority consultation on Land-Use Planning with appendices - November 2006;The Heritage Dynamo: how the voluntary sector drives regeneration - November 2004;Guide for Heritage Groups on Local Development Frameworks - November 2004;Recharging the Power of Place: valuing local significance- July 2004;Volunteers and the Historic Environment - December 2003

... and The Heritage Funding Directory, a free online search resource for UK heritage and historic environment sources of funding or other assistance, managed by the Funding Working Group [http://www.heritagelink.org.uk/fundingdirectory/main/fundinghome.php Heritage Funding Directory]

... and a significant means of sharing information, the fortnightly e-bulletin Heritage Link Update which reaches about 9000 at all levels of the heritage and cultural sector: [http://www.heritagelink.org.uk/publications.asp#update Heritage Link Update.]

Current campaigns on behalf of the membership include the Draft Heritage Bill 2008 and an initiative for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, 'Access All Areas', to coordinate a major heritage project from among the whole of the sector.

External links

* [http://www.heritagelink.org.uk Heritage Link website] [http://www.heritagelink.org.uk/fundingdirectory/main/fundinghome.php Heritage Funding Directory]