Building local connections to unique places

We already work closely with a wide range of people, including mental health & wellbeing groups, new Scots, community food initiatives, local environmental and conservation organisations, craft groups, loneliness initiatives and walking groups. Initial meetings with community groups have suggested a variety of new ideas, ranging from skills & career development to the use of Trust spaces for creative activities and engaging with Scotland’s heritage through cooking.

David Hicks, Engaging Communities Project Manager said: ‘The four properties we’ve chosen for this project include a time capsule of 20th-century tenement life in Glasgow, an internationally significant Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece, an 800-year-old fortress, and a mountain wilderness in the North West Highlands. They show not just the diversity of the places we care for, but the diversity of communities who may live near, work in and use our properties, so we’re excited about what we can learn from this project. This is a unique initiative, looking to put people at the heart of heritage. We are asking the question: how can this be useful to you?’

David continued: ‘Our charity has been pioneering public access to some of Scotland’s most significant buildings and landscapes since 1931, and this project will help us further develop our community engagement approaches. We’re grateful to National Lottery players and to our charity’s members and supporters, whose generosity is making this work possible.’

The initial phase of the project has seen four Community Engagement Officers, based at the pilot properties, talking to local community groups as well as property teams. They have researched past activities to understand how properties already engage with local communities – by hosting local events, facilitating school visits and ranger-led activities, or simply offering a place for groups to gather. Many Trust places also offer volunteering opportunities, enabling people to become actively involved in conserving and caring for Scotland’s heritage.

Sarah Eggleton, Community Engagement Officer at Fyvie Castle, has found that the castle and the surrounding estate offer many possible touch points with community groups. She said: ‘Set in the farming lowland of North Aberdeenshire, Fyvie Castle has so many cultural, built and natural treasures. Its 800-year history has been shaped by the people who lived in and around it, and today it is a great example of conservation in action. This project is an opportunity to discover creative ways to explore and respond to this rich heritage, uncovering hidden histories, inspiring new storytelling and involving the local community in shaping how the property can be more inclusive and accessible, for all to enjoy.’

Community consultation is at the core of this project, and over the next few months the project team will continue to connect with local groups to discuss how they could use the pilot properties. Through a mixture of interviews, focus groups and discussions, the team want to understand any barriers that prevent people from visiting as well as the potential for our places to meet the needs of local people.

A growing body of research shows the clear links between visiting historic and natural sites and an improved sense of wellbeing, through activities that offer people the chance to learn, get physically active, connect with others or have an enhanced awareness of their surroundings. Our project team will also explore how Trust places can inspire creativity through a range of participatory arts, and support skills development through work experience and insights into careers in heritage.

Romy Galloway, Community Engagement Officer at the Tenement House in Glasgow, said: ‘I am enjoying using creativity and storytelling as tools to connect the Tenement House with young people who experience a variety of barriers to engaging with cultural spaces. If you can find inspiration in the collection and stories at the Tenement House, you can take that into your own home and be creative there too.’

Romy added: ‘It has been incredible to see how the Tenement House can make a shared local history so tangible – from trying out Agnes Toward’s recipes and seeing what ingredients they can access today, to learning the language of their new home city, the meaning of a tenement ‘close’, and how on earth to pronounce Sauchiehall Street!’

The final phase of the project will see each Community Engagement Officer develop a plan for their property, using the results of their consultations and pilot activities to outline a sustainable strategy for connecting with more diverse local audiences. The wider lessons learned from the project will also be used to inform the way the Trust engages with communities at all of our properties.

This new initiative supports our objective to enable a greater diversity of people and communities to access our places to improve their health and wellbeing, as outlined in our Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone strategy.