Honouring those who preserve Scottish heritage

People and groups who do their bit to protect Scottish heritage are being urged to enter the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards.

Nominations opened to find those Angels who have played a special part in caring for, recording and celebrating the nation’s historic environment.

Last year’s awards honoured a range of diverse projects across the country, from the restoration of the Grade A-listed former office of the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Govan, led by Govan Workspace, to the full-scale reconstruction of an Iron Age roundhouse in Dumfries and Galloway by the Whithorn Trust.

Now in its fourth year, the awards scheme is open to groups, individuals, volunteers and professionals across Scotland, with entrants having until Friday, 29 June, to submit their nominations.

This year the awards ceremony will take place in Glasgow for the first time, with the eventual winners to be crowned at Glasgow City Chambers on Monday, 22 October.

Susan O’Connor, director of the Scottish Civic Trust, said: ‘I’m delighted to announce the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards are once again open for entries.

‘This awards scheme is about honouring the contribution made by those groups and individuals who rescue, record and celebrate Scotland’s historic buildings and places – many of whom volunteer their time. The awards also provide an important opportunity to recognise the positive difference that heritage projects make to local communities all over the country.

Scottish Heritage Angel Awards 2017 winners

‘I’m looking forward to this year’s nominations, which are sure to showcase the fantastic work being undertaken to protect and promote our historic environment.’

Launched in 2014 and funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation (ALWF), and run by the Scottish Civic Trust in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and Archaeology Scotland, the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards seek to celebrate both groups and individuals who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to promote, protect and, in many cases, rescue Scotland’s heritage.

The awards in Scotland are aligned with Angel Awards in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. An overall winner from each of the UK schemes will be honoured at the London ceremony later this year.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose charitable foundation helped establish the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards, said: ‘I applaud everyone who enters the Angel Awards and showcases the marvellous work they are doing to rescue and sustain our heritage. I am particularly pleased that Wales is involved this year which means the Angel Awards are running for the first time right across the UK.

‘The Angel Awards shine a light on the special individuals and groups who tackle difficult historic buildings and sites at risk and inspire others to get involved. I am thrilled that at the London ceremony we will be presenting a special award to the overall winner from all the Angel Award categories in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. I urge everyone to come forward and send in their applications.’

The Scottish Heritage Angel Awards categories are –

Best Rescue of an Historic Building or Place (for projects under £5m).

This award recognises volunteers and professionals, individuals and groups who have rescued a historic building, place, landscape or site. This category includes locally and nationally listed buildings, but the age or type of building does not matter as long as it is a historic building that appears on a recognised heritage register. This award will also recognise archaeological site and projects involving parks and gardens. All sizes and types of rescue project are eligible, as it is the actions taken to rescue them that will be judged.

Best Major Regeneration of an Historic Building or Place (for projects in excess of £5m).

This award will recognise projects that have seen large scale investment, probably in excess of £5 million pounds, put into saving, rescuing or regenerating a building or place. This is to award best practice and could be awarded to a team that has given a new lease of life to a building by innovative or sympathetic reuse. This may be awarded to an individual who has led on a project within a large organisation or the organisation as a whole. Applications are open to private firms, local authorities, building practices, planners, developers and architects.

Best Contribution to a Heritage Project by Young People.

This award will recognise the contribution to heritage projects by young people up to the age of 25. The award can be for individuals or groups and can include University students and young apprentices. Groups can include school children, projects from social clubs or local volunteer groups. The ‘contribution’ should be towards a heritage project or place (as above, this doesn’t have to be listed). Adults may enter an application on behalf of under 16s, and where relevant.

Best Craftsperson or Apprentice on a Heritage Rescue or Repair Project.

This award will recognise a volunteer or professional individual who has demonstrated the application of craft skills that have been key in repairing or rescuing a historic site. The craft can be from any discipline, for example, woodwork, masonry, metalwork or thatching. It is also an opportunity to award apprentices where work has made a significant contribution to a restoration. This award also looks at those individuals who have trained apprentices to carry on their work.

Best Heritage Research, Interpretation or Recording.

This award recognises those who have helped people understand and enjoy a heritage based project. It is open to everyone from volunteers, professionals, individuals and groups. It may be a project that has engaged a local community, school or group by teaching them about the buildings and spaces around them or that has created an archive or unique way of interpreting a heritage project. For example, it could be a group of local people identifying areas of improvement in their local conservation area, an individual who has restored a historic public place, a group who have saved a stone circle or a team who have helped research archaeological remains in a landscape.

For full details on how to enter the 2018 Scottish Heritage Angel Awards, nominate someone else for an award, or find out about previous winners, click HERE.