The Outreach team at English Heritage was set up in 2003 to actively engage new audiences in participating in, learning from, enjoying and valuing the historic environment. In each of the nine regions across the country, an Outreach Manager delivered a range of creative, grass roots community heritage projects, in response to local need.
These projects provided a platform for people to explore and share their local, personal and cultural heritage on their own terms. The team created opportunities for English Heritage to engage with those audiences it had traditionally found harder to reach such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, people on low incomes, people with disabilities and young people.
Our approach
At the heart of our approach was a consultative, participant-led process, with the aim of widening the definition and understanding of heritage. We worked collaboratively with community partners such as youth clubs, Sure Start, Age Concern and interfaith groups, to give people opportunities to tell their stories, learn new skills, try something different, think about the historic environment in a new way, build up confidence or to make links with other people and groups.
The Outreach team divided its time and resources between community projects in areas with levels of high deprivation where English Heritage had little or no profile, projects at the historic sites cared for by English Heritage, and working to make Heritage Open Days (HODs) more socially inclusive. This work had two main elements: 'project development and delivery' and 'strategic capacity building work'.
Outreach team disbanded
In March 2011, after eight years, the Outreach team at English Heritage was disbanded as a result of the Coalition Government's Public Bodies Review and the Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2010, which resulted in a 32% cut to English Heritage's grant-in-aid and the organisation's review of its strategic priorities.
Overview and analysis of Outreach Team’s work
As our last piece of work, we have produced the attached publication, which is intended to be a record and analysis of the Outreach team's work, which we hope will be a useful document for people running similar projects, working to broaden access to heritage and culture.
