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4 December 2020

Make Your Mark in Volunteering

An initiative which aims to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland has been launched.

graphic that reads Heritage Volunteering for All

The Make Your Mark initiative aims to bring together organisations in the heritage sector, with a focus on supporting and increasing volunteering amongst underrepresented groups as organisations recover and renew their volunteering programmes post COVID.

The launch, which took the form of a digital event, was opened with a video message from Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Fiona Hyslop, and brought together volunteers and representatives from across Scotland’s creative and heritage sectors.

The initiative, which is a partnership with several bodies, including HES and Volunteer Scotland is part of the Scottish Government’s strategy for the Historic Environment ‘Our Place in Time’. Open to all heritage organisations across Scotland it aims to help design inclusive volunteering opportunities by promoting best practice, providing a peer-to-peer volunteer organiser network and coordinating a volunteer recruitment initiative to recover volunteering programmes from the challenges of COVID-19.

Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said,

"As one of the core delivery partners of the Make your Mark initiative, HES is committed to driving creative thinking and collaboration that will help support renewal and growth in heritage volunteering.

This initiative will bring together organisations and volunteers with inclusion and diversity very much at the forefront of the approach.

"Our hope is that people from all backgrounds will be able to access and enjoy all the rewarding aspects of volunteering in heritage and I’d very much encourage people to find out more about what is on offer."

Any heritage organisation who works with volunteers or would like to begin working with volunteers can join Make Your Mark including:

  • Organisations that work with the natural and built environment
  • Organisations that preserve and celebrate intangible heritage (oral histories, dialects, memories, cultures, local lore)
  • Volunteer-led organisations
  • National museums
  • Civic trusts
  • Local heritage and history groups
  • Museums and galleries
  • Historic houses and castles
  • Libraries and archives
  • Buildings and monuments
  • Development trust associations

More information

Visit the Make your Mark website Read the Volunteer Scotland press release

Get involved

There is also still time to take part in a survey running concurrently to harness views on volunteering. Have your say before Tuesday 15 December.

Complete the survey

About Historic Environment Scotland (HES) 

  • We are the lead public body charged with caring for, protecting and promoting the historic environment. We will lead on delivering Scotland’s first strategy for the historic environment, Our Place in Time.
  • Historic Scotland, Scran, Canmore, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle and Edinburgh Castle are sub-brands of HES.
  • View our press pack and keep up to date by registering for media release email alerts. If you wish to unsubscribe, please contact us.

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For further information, please contact:

Dean Hendry
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
Mobile: 07221 959 962
communications@hes.scot

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