The IHBC has posted online its updated Communications and Outreach Strategy, for 2025-28, with a foreword by IHBC Chair David McDonald, which also serves as the current Business Plan for the IHBC’s Communications and Outreach Committee, chaired by Dave Chetwyn, trustee and IHBC Secretary.
David McDonald said: ‘This updated communications and outreach strategy responds to the changing context in which the IHBC operates. These include the shift in work and meeting patterns, continuing planning reform, changes in Parliamentary procedures, economic changes and an increasing focus on climate change and biodiversity.’
‘Through the IHBC’s various activities, the Institute is influencing attitudes to conservation and planning. This new Communications and Outreach Strategy takes into account these changes. At the same time, there is a focus on promoting diversity in the profession.’
‘The Strategy seeks to maintain and enhance communication with members and also reach out to other stakeholders and audiences. This includes continual development of our digital and social media activities.’
The Strategy notes:
1.1 Purpose
1.1.1 Purpose of the Strategy
Effective communications and outreach activities are key to the IHBC’s operations.
The way the Institute interacts with its own membership and the outside world is central to its effectiveness as a professional body.
This communications and outreach strategy builds on the previous strategy (2021-24) and relates to various areas of the Institute’s work, including member support, external influencing, promoting conservation professional practice and skills and Parliamentary activities.
The strategy is led by the IHBC’s Board and will be delivered through the IHBC’s National Office, Council, committees and branch and volunteer-led activities. The Communications and Outreach Committee will monitor progress on fulfilling the aims and achieving the actions in this strategy.
1.1.2 Structure of the Strategy
The strategy is in four parts. Chapter 2 includes strategic aims for communications and outreach. Chapter 3 contains actions to achieve the strategic aims. Chapter 4 deals with parliamentary activities. Chapter 5 includes a core script, to help create consistent between the IHBC’s various activities….
… Strategic Aims
… Scope of Professional Practice
… Aim 1: Promote understanding of professional and specialist practice as a multi- disciplinary, interdisciplinary, cross-sector activity, taking place against a wide social, economic and environmental context.
This includes promoting understanding of conservation practice as a creative, problem-solving activity. This involves providing advice and making judgements that reconcile heritage protection with a complex range of factors, including utility, legal compliance, viability, climate change and other social, economic and environmental considerations.
… Value of the IHBC as a Professional Body
Aim 2: Promote the IHBC as a respected professional body, based on its membership competences and professional standards in conservation practice. The IHBC has a rigorous process for accrediting membership, based on its competences, which are groups under Areas of Competence. This is key to maintaining the reputation and effectiveness of the Institute.
… Values and Benefits of Heritage
…Aim 3: Challenge misconceptions of heritage as a barrier to growth and promote
understanding of the social, economic and environmental values of heritage, as an essential part of professional practice.
This includes highlighting how conservation supports sustainable development, including more effective and inclusive regeneration and growth, healthier lifestyles, carbon management and biodiversity, town-centre recovery and other community benefits.
… Conservation Skills
… Aim 4: Promote awareness of the importance of conservation skills and interdisciplinary practice standards, alongside the benefits of employing skilled heritage specialists from the right professional disciplines for conservation work. This includes encouraging local authorities and private sector bodies to employ appropriately skilled individuals and teams.
The IHBC delivers accessible resources, programmes, services and events to improve conservation skills for the IHBC members and among wider built environment professions and others involved with heritage.
Influencing Policy, Legislation and Programmes
Aim 5: Promote recognition of the values of heritage and good practice principles to UK, national and local governments, national bodies and others involved in building conservation.
This includes a range of news and information services, publications, practice guidance such as the Toolbox; high-level training programmes, and identifying, promoting or undertaking research on the social, economic and environmental values of heritage.
…
… Core Script
5.1 Purpose of the Core Script
5.1.1 Purpose and Use
The following core script includes key messages to set out the IHBC’s general position on the values of heritage, climate change, regeneration, planning and placemaking, skills and resources, and professional practice.
The core script should be used to inform and create consistency between the various areas of the IHBC’s work, including advocacy, consultations, CPD and research. More detail will emerge through these various activities.
5.2 Core Script – Key Messages
5.2.1 Values of heritage
Heritage has economic, community and environmental values, in addition to helping to achieve more effective, sustainable and inclusive forms of growth, economic development and regeneration. Most heritage is in productive use, so forms part of the infrastructure of urban and rural areas. Heritage also supports the visitor economy. Conservation helps with high-street recovery, provides flexible space for business and supports good physical and mental health.
5.2.2 Climate Change, Carbon Use and Biodiversity
Most historic areas are intrinsically sustainable, often being walkable and permeable for pedestrians and having a mix of uses and facilities and incorporating valuable green infrastructure (helping biodiversity). Loss of old buildings involves loss of the embodied energy used in their construction and materials. Improving building performance is also part of this bigger picture.
5.2.3 Regeneration and Economic Development
Historic buildings and places often form a basis for effective physical and economic transformation and regeneration. VAT on building refurbishments is a significant barrier to economic activity, creating property price inflation in high growth areas and stagnation in areas where there are viability challenges.
5.2.4 Planning and Placemaking
Heritage should be an integral part of the wider social, economic and environmental planning of an area. Heritage should be a key factor in planning for high streets, housing, employment and local communities. Good planning is about place-making and involves working with a range of stakeholders and communities.
5.2.5 Skills and Resources
There is a need to develop placemaking and heritage skills and capacity in the public and private sectors. This would create economic, social and environmental benefits through better decision-making. Heritage forms an important part of the construction sector and there is a need to expand capacity and heritage skills.
5.2.6 Professional Practice
Heritage professional practice encompasses a range of professional disciplines and involves finding creative solutions to conserve heritage and realise its economic, community and cultural potential.
See the full Strategy at HERE
See more of the IHBC’s Corporate Papers on the IHBC’s website HERE, and on the C&O Committee Strategy and its history under the ‘Operational’ tab.
For more background see the NewsBlog
