Heritage volunteers, professionals and organisations from across the country were honoured in the capital this evening (Monday 16 October), as the winners of the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards 2017 were revealed.
Hosted by author and broadcaster Vanessa Collingridge at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, the ceremony saw winning finalists in each of the four award categories crowned in a celebration of the groups, individuals, volunteers and professionals who have played a special part in caring for the nation’s historic environment.
Scooping the award for Best Rescue of a Historic Building was Pat Cassidy of Govan Workspace and a group of volunteers who led the project to restore the shipbuilding offices of the former Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Govan, Glasgow. The historic site now hosts a community-based museum on shipbuilding, as well as commercial offices.
The Apprentice Guides at the National Mining Museum topped the Best Contribution to a Heritage Project by a Young Person category. The seven pupils from Gore Glen Primary School in Gorebridge worked with museum staff to create their own tour of the site for other schools.
The Best Craftsmanship or Apprentice on a Heritage Rescue or Repair Project was won by Leslie Merriman, now Assistant Works Manager with HES, for his work with the Orkney Monument Conservation Unit. Leslie served his stonemasonry apprenticeship after joining HES and now mentors new apprentices.
The Whithorn Trust were recognised for their project to build a full-scale reconstruction of an Iron Age roundhouse in Dumfries with the Best Rescue, Recording or Interpretation of a Historic Place award.
Launched in 2014 with funding from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation (ALWF), and run by the Scottish Civic Trust in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland (HES), Archaeology Scotland and the Scottish Government, the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards celebrates both groups and individuals who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to promote, protect and, in many cases, rescue Scotland’s heritage.
John Pelan, Director of the Scottish Civic Trust, said:
The Scottish Heritage Angel Awards have been a joy to deliver. The judges had an extremely difficult job to choose four winners from each of the categories, and all the shortlisted groups and individuals deserve huge praise for their achievements in rescuing, recording and celebrating Scotland’s historic buildings and places.
“In the end, those nominees who demonstrated the best evidence of sharing of skills, overcoming adversity and creating a legacy made it to the top. Congratulations to all the nominees, and particularly to our four winners.”
Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of HES, said: “Heritage projects across Scotland play a vital role in protecting our historic environment. At HES we work closely with a diverse range of groups, individuals, volunteers and professionals, supporting the work they do through investment, as well as sharing our guidance and expertise.
“The Scottish Heritage Angel Awards is an opportunity to celebrate the positive difference these heritage projects make to communities all over Scotland – from restoration work that gives new leases of life to historic buildings, to research and recording that shapes our understanding of the history of local areas.
The dedication and enthusiasm shown by this year’s winners and nominees is inspiring, and I’d like to congratulate all the projects honoured this evening, wishing them continued success in their endeavours.”
The Scottish Heritage Angel Awards run parallel to Heritage Angel Awards in England and Northern Ireland. This year, an overall winner from the three award schemes will be selected and crowned at the London ceremony on Monday 20 November.
Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose charitable foundation helped found the Heritage Angel Awards, said: “Congratulations to all of the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards winners! They all deserve to be celebrated for their significant roles in saving Scotland’s heritage and for the time, enthusiasm, skills and energy that they have dedicated to this important cause.
They will now go on to be considered alongside the English and Northern Irish winners to be crowned overall UK winner. I’m delighted that the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation is able to support this opportunity to put heritage heroes in the spotlight.’
Scottish Heritage Angel Awards 2017 Winners
Category A: Best Rescue of a Historic Building
- Pat Cassidy and the Fairfield volunteers, for their contribution to the restoration project of the shipbuilding offices of the former Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Govan.
Category B: Best Contribution to a Heritage Project by a Young Person
- Apprentice Guides at the National Mining Museum Scotland, comprising seven pupils from Gore Glen Primary School in Gorebridge who worked with museum staff to create their own tour for other schools.
Category C: Best Craftsmanship or Apprentice on a Heritage Rescue or Repair Project
- Leslie Merriman, Assistant Works Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, for his work with the Orkney Monument Conservation Unit. Leslie served his stonemasonry apprenticeship after joining HES and now mentors new apprentices.
Category D: Best Rescue, Recording or Interpretation of a Historic Place
- The Whithorn Trust, for their project to build a full-scale reconstruction of an Iron Age roundhouse.
A selection of photographs from the ceremony can be obtained by contacting Claire Mullaney: claire.mullaney@hes.scot
About the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards
The awards are delivered in partnership between the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, the Scottish Civic Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland and the Scottish Government. The Scottish Civic Trust is the main delivery partner. The awards programme supports the delivery of Scotland’s Historic Environment Strategy, Our Place in Time, with its strong emphasis on community participation in heritage.
For further information on the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards, please contact:
Claire Mullaney
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
Direct Line: 0131 668 8588
Mobile: 07881 512 379
claire.mullaney@hes.scot
Scottish Heritage Angel Awards Categories
- Best Rescue of a Historic Building
This award recognises volunteers and professionals, individuals and groups who have rescued a historic building. This category includes locally and nationally listed buildings, sites on the Buildings at Risk Register and places of worship. It does not have to be listed; it could be part of a conservation area or a local building of significant interest. All sizes of rescue project are eligible, as it is the actions taken to rescue them that will be judged. Nominations should provide evidence of community benefit and involvement, where appropriate. - Best Contribution to a Heritage Project by Young People
This award will recognise the contribution to heritage projects by young people up to and including the age of 25. The award can be for individuals or groups and can include 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, both would be acknowledged. - Best Craftsmanship or Apprentice on a Heritage Rescue or Repair Project
This award will recognise a volunteer, professional individual or apprentice who has demonstrated the application of craft skills that have been key in repairing or rescuing a historic site. For example, it could be someone who has carved stone gargoyles for a church, or repaired a historic window. The craft can be from any discipline, for example, woodwork, masonry, metalwork or thatching. - Best Rescue, Recording or Interpretation of a Historic Place
This award recognises volunteers and professionals, individuals and groups who rescue, record or interpret any kind of historic place. This could be an archaeological site, scheduled monument or battlefield. For example, it could be a group of local people identifying areas of improvement for their local conservation area, an individual who has restored a historic garden, a group who have saved a stone circle or a team who have helped research archaeological remains in a landscape.
About the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation was set up by Andrew in 1992 to promote the arts, culture and heritage for the public benefit; since inception Andrew has been the principal provider of funding for all its charitable activities.
In 2010, the Foundation embarked on an active grant giving programme and has now awarded grants of over £17.5m to support high quality training and personal development as well as other projects that make a real difference to enrich the quality of life both for individuals and within local communities. Significant grants include £3.5m to Arts Educational Schools, London to create a state of the art professional theatre, £2.4m to The Music in Secondary Schools Trust, £1m to The Architectural Heritage Fund, $1.3m to the American Theatre Wing and over £300,000 annually to fund 30 performing arts scholarships for talented students in financial need.
www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com
Twitter: @ALWFoundation
For further information on the ALW Foundation, please contact:
Truda Spruyt/Laura Steele at Four Colman Getty
Direct Line: 020 3697 4248 / 020 3697 4241
truda.spruyt@fourcolmangetty.com
laura.steele@fourcolmangetty.com