Co-ordinating the heritage sector’s response
As the organisation responsible for safeguarding the nation’s heritage, we are advising the Government on its response to the impact of Coronavirus on the sector. We’re in daily contact with the Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) and are regularly briefing the Heritage Minister on immediate issues and longer term recovery planning.
To inform this work, we are chairing a group of national heritage organisations, which includes Historic Houses, National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Trust and the Heritage Alliance. The role of this Heritage Sector Response Group is to assess the impact of Coronavirus on heritage, to share information and to co-ordinate support and action.
Intelligence gathering
We’ve been gathering our own evidence to help gain a comprehensive picture of the situation across the sector. We recently carried out a survey aimed at understanding the impact of Coronavirus on the businesses and the skills that underpin the heritage sector.
This survey revealed the serious impact on the heritage sector in the South West, particularly on small organisations with ten employees or fewer.
Eight out of ten respondents to the survey in the South West reported they had lost business in the short term, while five out of ten had been forced to postpone or cancel income-generating events.
Whilst the impact of Coronavirus has been serious, Government support schemes are providing assistance and 90% of businesses felt able to keep going in the short term. Craft workers and professionals such as architects, engineers and surveyors appear to be most vulnerable. In the South West, four out of ten craftspeople and six out of ten professionals said they are concerned for their businesses and are in need of additional support.
These small businesses are crucial to the operation of England’s heritage construction sector, which generates an estimated £7.1bn in GVA to the economy. The sector employs 100,000 construction workers (including specialised craftspeople), 6,000 archaeologists and 24,000 architects, engineers and quantity surveyors. They are vital for the maintenance and continued enjoyment of England’s heritage.
Emergency funding
In response to this survey we’ve launched the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund to help tackle the impact of Coronavirus on the heritage sector. The aim of the fund, which will be up to £2m, is to extend the safety net as far as possible for the sector and to help heritage organisations both survive the immediate challenges and prepare for recovery.
We’re inviting applications from heritage organisations, self-employed contractors, third-sector organisations and voluntary groups that have been severely affected by the impact of Coronavirus and which need additional short-term emergency financial support to ensure their survival.
We’ll also consider supporting projects and activities that respond to the current crisis and contribute to recovery in the heritage sector.
The fund is designed to complement the measures already in place by the Government, as well as the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s recently announced £50 million emergency fund. We believe that the grants we issue will make a significant difference to the sector’s survival and recovery.
