2016 Yearbook

R E V I E W 35 CARE IN THE COMMUNITY SARAH McLEOD The Lord Mayor of Birmingham unveils a Birmingham Civic Society Renaissance Award for Birmingham Conservation Trust’s rescue of the old Newman Brothers Coffin Works, Birmingham, which has been transformed into a vibrant arts and community venue (Photo: The Coffin Works) Building Preservation Trusts (BPTs) have always relied on people power to promote the care and regeneration of historic assets. Steered by tenacious locals who are determined to save the places they hold dear, BPTs are often ‘developers of last resort’, taking on the challenging projects which others avoid. No commercial developer in their right mind would embark on such expensive, complicated, time-consuming projects, which are often uneconomical without the aid of grant funding. Yet throughout the late 20th century numerous local groups came together, formed trusts, delivered projects and went on to roll over their income to enable them to take on further challenges under the revolving trust model. While the world of the BPT movement is now very different to that of its 1980s and 90s heyday, the integration of BPTs in local communities remains key to their survival and success. The 21st-century economic and political landscape presents new challenges. The days of 100 per cent grant funding are becoming a distant memory. The traditional revolving model is now increasingly being replaced by single project trusts. BPTs are no longer just developers but increasingly commercial operators, landlords, consultants and educators. Like their funders and supporters, BPTs have had to adapt and change, adopting new approaches and practices in order to survive and thrive. As the umbrella body for BPTs, the United Kingdom Association of Building Preservation Trusts (UKAPT) has witnessed the transformation of a number of trusts as they have found new ways of harnessing people power and taking their communities with them on their regeneration journey. The most successful projects are those where communities work in partnership with others. Such partnerships have access to the broadest range of funding and other support. These projects show an understanding of how heritage-led regeneration can deliver a range of benefits, not just economic but also with wider impacts like generating social capital, community cohesion, cultural diversity and capacity- building. The trusts behind these successful projects also understand that getting this message across effectively is vital if they want to mobilise people power. Many of the most successful projects now involve a mix of uses for the relevant buildings and the trusts behind them are diversifying their activities, building new partnerships, engaging with social media and becoming much more commercially savvy. The Birmingham Conservation Trust (BCT) provides a great example. Its recent move to Newman Brothers Coffin Fittings Works means that the trust finally has a base from which it can work with a wide range of local partners in the city, engaging new audiences and generating income for the trust. Part of the building has become Birmingham’s most unusual visitor attraction but it is also an arts and community venue with the courtyard and rooms of the factory used for everything from storytelling to filming bhangra music videos. The Coffin Works is part of the lively Birmingham Food Festival with monthly pop-up food events in the courtyard and BCT has even built its own themed bar in order to tap into the area’s lucrative night-life. The remainder of the factory houses six office/workshop units which are rented out to small creative businesses. This rental income should ensure the sustainability of the project when lottery funding ends. Birmingham is a young city and BCT has been very successful in attracting younger audiences and volunteers through social media, a skill highlighted at the recent Heritage Angel awards, where it was voted most popular project.

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