Help your IHBC branch win the AGM of its dreams (well..., within reason): Join the IHBC recruitment drive now

The IHBC is running an internal competition between branches to see which branch can recruit the most NEW, FULL-SUBSCRIPTION PAYING members (Full, Affiliate or Associate) between November and the end of March.

The attractions of getting conservation and historic environment specialists that you know to join up now include:

• easy application for Affiliates and Associates: simply tick, sign and send the new membership form (on our web site)
• easy start-up for qualified professionals: simply join as an Affiliate and we will guide applicants through the process
• up to 5 months free membership for new members (until April 2008)
• tax deductible fees (in line with Inland Revenue guidance on professional fees)
• all the usual IHBC benefits, from branch newsletters to events, national journals and yearbooks
• and as well you’re helping the only professional body and charity specifically dedicated to conserving our historic places

Remember, the IHBC includes members from all disciplines that can shape conservation: project managers, architects, engineers, planners, managers, landscape architects, historians and archaeologists etc. If you know someone who should enhance their professional role in conservation and the historic environment, get them to think about joining up NOW. If they do, you both just might be able to have the AGM of your dreams!!

Ask your branch chair for more details, or e-mail Devon, our membership services officer, at membershipservices@ihbc.org.uk  for more information or leaflets for distribution.

Buildings History Survey

‘There aren’t enough of us out there’ and ‘we can’t find people with the right combination of specialist knowledge and practical skills’ are fairly typical comments emanating from the group of professionals engaged in the analysis and recording of historic buildings and areas. But to what extent is this actually the case? New research being carried out by Atkins for English Heritage (with the support of Historic Scotland) will chart the health of the various specialisms engaged in ‘buildings history’ in the UK – principally applied architectural history, buildings history and buildings archaeology – providing baseline information on the current and likely future levels of activity in this area. The research will provide a basis for the development of training programmes in response to anticipated growth in this part of the heritage sector arising from reforms to heritage protection legislation and the planning system in England and Wales.

Questionnaires are being sent to practitioners, heritage bodies and training providers, and the results of the survey will be available in early 2008. For more information on the project please contact one of the following English Heritage staff: John Cattell, Chief Buildings Historian (john.cattell@english-heritage.org.uk) or Robert Hook, Head of Training and Standards (bob.hook@english-heritage.org.uk). The questionnaires can be downloaded from 9th October 2007 by clicking here and choosing the Buildings History Survey option. The closing date for responses is 9 November 2007. Your help with this important initiative will be greatly appreciated.

Published to site: 5th October 2007

CABE Space design skills scholarships

Today CABE Space is launching a new design skills scholarships programme. We’d like to ask you to help us spread the word about this unique opportunity. CABE Space believes that good design should be at the heart of our public realm - our streets and highways, parks and green spaces and public squares and neighbourhoods. But many people working to shape these public spaces don’t receive any formal design training. CABE Space wants to change this. We want to offer professionals working in these fields - from highways engineers and planning officers to park workers, access officers, leisure and amenity officers and regeneration professionals - the chance to travel to gain greater understanding of design. The CABE Space design skills scholarship programme offers grants to fund a work or study trip to places where design is central to the creation and management of public space. We are looking for people without formal design training who can use this experience to help bring good design to their own work and to inspire others in their field. Applications for the scholarships are now open and details are available at www.cabe.org.uk/scholarships.

The closing date is 30th November.

The scholarships are not open to CABE staff, enablers, commissioners or regional representatives, but we’d like to ask if you will support the programme by helping us to encourage individuals to apply. We hope you can help spread the word.

Published to site: 8th October 2007