Not sure where to start? Help is at hand in this suite of toolkits and links to guide you through your heritage journey.
This list of toolkits and supporting organisations will provide a good starting point for any group or individual looking to get the most out of their local heritage.
These links will direct you to a wide variety of training, events, and online resources that may be useful. This isn’t an exhaustive list of the support that is available. More information can be found on our other Community Advice Hub pages but if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, then please get in touch at developmentandcommunity@hes.scot and we’ll do what we can to help.
Climate action
These toolkits will help you get from A to Z and you can work through them in your own time. We've gathered together some of the best ones to help you and your community make the most out of your heritage.
- This Together for our Planet toolkit will help you talk about and explain COP26 and will provide you with assets, information, and ideas for you to use.
- The Climate Conversation Pack and Britain Talks Climate are useful resources for anyone looking to start conversations around climate change.
- Adaption Scotland provides advice and support to help Scotland be prepared and resilient to the effects of climate change.
- Keep Scotland Beautiful is full of resources and advice for combatting climate change, reducing litter and waste, and protecting and enhancing the places we care for.
- The Ethnic Minority Environmental Network is a platform and resource for all ethnic minority voices to engage in climate change issues and policies and to develop links with environmental stakeholders.
Community development
- The Scottish Community Development Centre is the lead body for community development in Scotland.
- The National Standards for Community Engagement (NSfCE) are good practice principles designed to improve and guide the process of community engagement.
Community empowerment
- The Place Standard tool provides a simple framework to structure conversations about place. The tool provides prompts for discussions, allowing you to consider all the elements of a place methodically. The tool pinpoints the assets of a place as well as areas where a place could improve
- Built Environment Forum Scotland is an umbrella body for organisations working in the built environment in Scotland.
- The Heritage Trust Network is a membership organisation for community groups & Trusts formed to bring together heritage professionals and enthusiasts tackling our nations’ buildings at risk and can provide support through a peer-to-peer network
Volunteer development
- Heritage Volunteer Organisers Scotland volunteer engagement toolkit
- Volunteer Scotland have a variety of helpful resources and downloads available online
- Findings from the Wrestling with Social Value project have been translated into a Social Value toolkit for practitioners looking to understand and work with the social values of the historic environment
- Make Your Mark is a Scotland-wide campaign to increase the number and diversity of volunteers in the heritage sector. They have launched an Inclusive Volunteering Toolkit, providing advice on practical steps that voluntary organisations can undertake to help with this.
- The Third Sector Lab have produced some guidance on how to recruit Digital Trustees - volunteers with experience in digital, data or design who sit on the Board of a third sector organisation.
Interpretation and safeguarding heritage
- This Communications toolkit from NatureScot aims to help grantees inform and engage with stakeholders about the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund
- This interpretation guidance from the Heritage Fund is full of useful advice and links.
- Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage together with museums. This toolkit provides you with all the content you may need to safeguard intangible cultural heritage in your organisation
- The Scottish International Storytelling Festival have produced A Wee Guide to Intangible Cultural Heritage. It gives a really useful overview of ICH as well as some interesting Scottish examples.
Culture and leisure
- The Arts Marketing Association works with and supports individuals and organisations in the arts, culture, and heritage sector.
- Third Force News – Culture & Leisure
- The Association of Independent Museums has a range of events, training, and resources available that are aimed at independent museums, galleries, and heritage organisations.
- Arts and Business Scotland is an independent charity working to enrich creativity and cultural engagement across Scotland.
Well-being
- The AMPHORA guidelines have been designed to support heritage-related projects focused on delivering mental health benefits. They were developed in partnership by Solent University, University of Winchester, and Bournemouth University and consist of three toolkits that can be used by project providers, social prescribers, and potential participants.
- Think Health Think Nature have worked with health care professionals and third sector organisations across Scotland to put together a variety of resources around using the natural environment to improve wellbeing.
Do you have a toolkit that you think would be useful to share? Please head over to our ‘can we help?’ page to let us know.