TV daredevil backs North East charity
Dr. Jonathan Foyle has become the patron of the North of England Civic Trusts’ Heritage Skills Initiative after working with them on ‘Climbing Great Buildings’, shown on BBC2 earlier this year.
After challenging himself to climb the ten greatest buildings in the UK, Dr Jonathan Foyle is delighted to advocate the Heritage Skills Initiative who have provided over 50,000 hours of practical heritage skills training across the North.
He explained: “We all know it’s important to look after our irreplaceable traditional buildings but today the skills are quickly disappearing. The Heritage Skills Initiative is the country’s leading provider of informal skills training for historic buildings. They do it in the best way by involving everyone who wants to have a go and learn more. They’re effective because they are enthusiastic and really committed to raising the profile and ensuring heritage skills training opportunities are available. That’s why I’m delighted to join them and give my time. I feel privileged to be their patron.”
Andie Harris, Learning and Skills Manager at the North of England Civic Trust said: “We are thrilled to have Jonathan as our patron and are hoping to work with him to encourage the growth of heritage skills training and the awareness of traditional methods and materials, both regionally and nationally.”
The Heritage Skills Initiative, now in its fifth year, encourages and develops collaborative working across wide ranging partners to deliver sustained programmes of specialist training and information dissemination. The annual programme, described by those in the sector as ‘enviable’ and as ‘an exemplar’ covers a range of taster days, masterclasses, specialist events, homeowner events, lectures and activities in both the North East and Cumbria. HSI also works in partnership with Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums on the Heritage Lottery Funded Engineering Heritage Skills Initiative, offering eight annual bursaries in heritage engineering across the region, due to commence in April 2011.
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For more information contact Andie Harris, Learning and Skills Manager on
07919 014257 andie.harris@nect.org.uk www.nect.org.uk
Notes to EditorsThe Heritage Skills Initiative (HSI) was initiated by the North East Heritage Environment Forum, funded by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and hosted by North of England Civic Trust. The Initiative has identified how severe the skills shortage is in the region and how the region is responding to that shortage. It has determined ways of stemming the increasing heritage skills shortage by examining opportunities, raising awareness and creating the training and partnership opportunities needed to address the shortages in those trades required to restore and maintain the historic environment of the region. The HSI has examined the sector through mapping current training, the present skills base and demand for skills in the region, and is in the process of creating opportunities for training, increasing awareness of the heritage sector and developing an active and collaborative network across the region. After full architectural training and an MA at the Courtauld Institute, Dr Jonathan Foyle worked on Canterbury Cathedral and then became Curator of Historic Buildings at Historic Royal Palaces for eight years. The early history of the Hampton Court was the subject of his 2002 Ph.D thesis in Archaeology which was featured in a Meet the Ancestors Special on BBC2. He is a seasoned public speaker, teaching for Cambridge University’s International Division and the V&A as well as lecturing widely in Britain, Europe, the US and Australia, often using his illustrations to explain complex ideas clearly. Beyond scholarly papers, Jonathan has written for a number of newspapers and popular publications including The Sunday Times and The Architect’s Journal. He has also featured on many television programmes as a spokesperson for architecture and cultural history including the BBC, The History Channel and Discovery Channel. In 2007 Jonathan became Chief Executive of World Monuments Fund Britain, the UK arm of a global charity which helps to secure imperiled sites for future generations.Andie Harris is an education, training and recruitment professional with over fifteen years experience. Working as the Learning and Skills Manager at the North of England Civic Trust, managing the Heritage Skills Initiatives across the North East and Cumbria.
Andie also works as a mentor and associate monitor for the Heritage Lottery Fund Skills for the Future programme, is the North East Regional Heritage Skills Co-ordinator and works with English Heritage and Natural England on including training opportunities within their grants and procurement process.
Promoting an accredited professional and craft workforce, Andie ensures that the Heritage Skills Initiative provides and promotes opportunities to learn about, partake in and gain accreditation for skills learnt in the heritage sector.
Andie is a Churchill Fellow (2009) and has a degree in Heritage Management a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education, CIPD qualifications in both Recruitment and Training and an MA in Historic Environment Conservation.
