The Built Landscape Heritage Education and Training Project proposed by the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain (DSWA) has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
HLF writes:
The project aims to improve career prospects in dry stone walling by providing five training bursaries throughout the North West and offering support for established dry stone wallers to enhance their skills.
Development funding of £8,300 has also been awarded to help the Dry Stone Walling Association progress their plans to apply for a full grant at a later date. The provision of training bursary opportunities in the North West will enable individuals to learn heritage skills that will ultimately provide an income whilst also helping to maintain the landscape for future generations to enjoy.
The project will also deliver an educational programme for schools and colleges providing access to online teaching resources and offer students the opportunity to engage with the age-old craft of dry stone walling. Local communities in the North West will be encouraged to get involved in local restoration projects and help address the decline of traditional boundaries which affects both their practical and aesthetic value.
Ray Stockall, Chairman of the Dry Stone Walling Association, said: ‘We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support. Traditional dry stone walling skills are being lost at an alarming rate and it is vital that these skills are passed from the experts of today to future generations to secure our landscape heritage.’
Explaining the importance of the HLF support, Sara Hilton, said: ‘The heritage sector is in need of people who have specific conservation skills and many of the projects that we fund require special skills such as dry stone walling to make them happen. We at HLF are passionate about looking after our historic environment and equally about giving people, especially younger generations, the chance to gain new skills and training opportunities that will help them in later life. We’re looking forward to seeing these plans progress over the coming months.’
HLF news: LINK
For background information see the IHBC NewsBlog archive: LINK
