norwich heart

After over 10 years of championing the city’s heritage, Norwich’s Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART) looks back at its successful projects as it hands on its many legacies, such as the Norwich 12 iconic buildings, which will continue through the work of partner organisations.

Following a strategic review, which considered the challenging economic climate for charities and the decline of funding streams, it has been decided that the trust’s legacies can be delivered in other ways through partner organisations.

Since its formation, the trust has helped to put Norwich on the international heritage stage through its work enabling access and engagement with heritage, working in partnership with local, national and international organisations. The trust has won awards and plaudits for its work, such as the 2014 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award for its SHAPING 24 project, which built on the success of the Norwich 12 partnership.

Over the years, HEART secured over £4m of heritage and tourism investment for Norwich, and developed Heritage Open Days into the largest free heritage event outside London, ensuring that Norwich is now in the top 1% for heritage activities and events, according to the Heritage Index report.

The successful Norwich 12 / SHAPING 24 project had a positive impact on economic development, regeneration, education and learning, community engagement, promotion and access, through guidebooks, leaflets, websites, events and festivals, and Culture Matters, an international cultural heritage conference which attracted around 180 heritage professionals from all over the world. The Norwich 12 partnership will continue under the auspices of the Norfolk Museums Service, ensuring that Norwich’s unique offer of the UK’s finest collection of individually outstanding heritage buildings will endure.

Under HEART’s supervision, Heritage Open Days (HODS) in Norwich developed into the biggest free heritage event outside London, which this year saw 247 free events across the county enjoyed by around 62,000 visitors, all made possible by the extraordinary commitment of the volunteers and organisations involved. The Forum Trust have agreed to lead on the future delivery of HODs in partnership with the Norwich City Council’s Tourist Information Centre and other partners, which will enable people to continue to discover Norwich and Norfolk’s hidden heritage.

Over the past year, in partnership with Norwich City Council, HEART has improved access to The Guildhall through a series of public events including lectures, plays, sleepovers, and the Guildhall Tours thanks to a committed team of volunteers. Norwich City Council continues to own and be responsible for the maintenance of the historic fabric, and Guildhall Enterprises will lease the 15th century building and run some of the activities that HEART has developed, such as the Guildhall Tours, whilst developing some exciting new initiatives and partnerships. The Colman’s Mustard Shop & Museum and the café at The Guildhall, currently trading as Caley’s Cocoa Café, are also now owned by Guildhall Enterprises, which is operated by Britannia Enterprises, the social enterprise behind the very popular Café Britannia.

Christine Frazer, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said: “Over the past 10 years, HEART has been hugely successful in delivering a wide range of local and international partnership projects including levering significant external funding to benefit Norwich and the wider area. Like many other charities, HEART is not unique in facing challenges in the ongoing economic climate. Having undertaken a thorough and strategic review of the organisation, in the context of the funding landscape over the next 5 years, HEART has determined that some of this activity can best be delivered through other partners to achieve the charity’s heritage objectives.”

She continued: “We are extremely grateful for all the support that Norwich City Council has given us over the years and particularly with respect to our tenancy at The Guildhall, which has helped increase access to one of the council’s fantastic heritage assets, and also to the University of East Anglia for their funding and support. We would like to thank all our staff, partners, funders, supporters and volunteers for their hard work and backing over the years. We hope that the public will support and encourage our partner organisations as they continue HEART’s legacies.”

The Trustees will continue to explore how other partnership organisations who value the historic environment can work together in the future to continue the strong heritage focus in the city.

Tim Bishop, CEO of the Forum Trust, which will take on the Heritage Open Days legacy, said: “The HEART Board have made the brave choice that the hugely valuable work HEART has done can now be achieved in other ways. HEART leaves the city’s heritage in a far better state than when it started and it’s great to see that it has found innovative ways to keep that work going in the future.”

Councillor Alan Waters, leader of Norwich City Council, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to HEART for the fantastic work they have done over the last 10 years. As this new chapter begins, we are delighted to be working in partnership with Guildhall Enterprises and helping them build on the success of Café Britannia.”

HEART’s activities will come to a close by the end of the year, and its final project, Colman’s Connections, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund – examining workers’ roles during the First World War – has recently completed a successful exhibition run at The Forum. The exhibition continues as a legacy at The Museum of Norwich at The Bridewell from 24th November through to 5th March 2016.

Notes:

About Norwich HEART
HEART was set up in 2004 to help plan, regenerate and promote Norwich’s heritage. In the last ten years it has developed an approach to Norwich’s heritage assets as a vehicle for social and economic regeneration. Working together with partner organisations, it has secured major benefits for the city and its people including significant inward investment; implemented local distinctiveness programmes throughout the city (including the Norwich Lanes, Elm Hill and Timberhill plaques and signage, all funded through EEDA); developed the biggest Heritage Open Days programme outside London; run a successful Digital Heritage Project which brought archive film alive for a new generation, and developed the Norwich 12 and SHAPING 24 projects, which won the 2014 Europa Nostra prize and which have contributed to shaping Norwich as destination for heritage tourism.

About the Norwich 12

Norwich 12 is the UK’s finest collection of individually outstanding heritage buildings spanning the Norman, Georgian, Victorian and modern eras, offering walks and tours; visitor attractions; exhibitions; music and performances; cafes and restaurants; and gift shops. It is a pioneering heritage concept that developed 12 of the city’s iconic buildings into an integrated family of heritage attractions, showcasing English urban and cultural development over the last 1,000 years.

Norwich 12 comprises: Norwich Castle, Norwich Cathedral, The Great Hospital, The Halls – St Andrew’s and Blackfriars’, The Guildhall, Dragon Hall, The Assembly House, St James Mill, The Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Surrey House, City Hall and The Forum. The set was joined by ‘baker’s dozen’ addition, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

Norwich 12 was an initiative by Norwich HEART, which secured £1 million from the Treasury’s Invest to Save Budget for the project to initially run 2006-9. The ERDF funding allowed this initiative to be developed until 2011, with further projects under the SHAPING 24 banner, part-funded by the European Union’s INTERREG IVA 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013.

www.norwich12.co.uk

About SHAPING 24
SHAPING 24 – Strategies for Heritage Access Pathways in Norwich and Ghent – was a cultural tourism initiative that linked together the 12 heritage sites in Norwich that make up Norwich 12, with 12 heritage sites in Ghent. The project sought to promote and support the 24 sites, raise the profile of Norwich and Ghent as significant cultural heritage cities and increase awareness of the longstanding historical links between this part of England and the Low Countries. By working together, the two cities benefitted from the experiences and professional expertise in both cities, and applied innovative approaches to the challenges facing historic cities.

SHAPING 24 was led by HEART with Ghent City Council as the partner organisation. The project was part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund from the European Union’s INTERREG IVA 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013. The total value of SHAPING 24 was €4.5m, of which Norwich’s share was €2.3m, which included match funding from a variety of organisations.

About Heritage Open Days
Heritage Open Days is England’s biggest heritage festival involving over 1,500 organisations and 40,000 volunteers who organise thousands of site openings and events, jointly attracting over 3 million visitors. It celebrates our fantastic history, architecture and culture; offering people the chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore. On a national level, the programme is managed by the National Trust and funded by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery and Historic England.

About the Heritage Index
The Heritage Index shows Norwich is in the top 3% of areas with the most heritage, and in the top 1% for heritage activities and events. It looks at engagement with heritage as well as historic buildings, sites and blue plaques, and singles out Norwich as one of the surprising star performers, in 3rd position for heritage events and coming in 9th place overall in England.

About the Heritage Lottery Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery @HLFEoE