The purpose of the Industrial Heritage Support Officer (IHSO) is to work with preserved industrial heritage sites that are publicly accessible, with the aim of helping to help make them more sustainable. The project is funded via Historic England’s National Capacity Building programme, managed by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and supported by the Association of Independent Museums and the Association for Industrial Archaeology.
To date, the IHSO has supported 135+ industrial heritage sites and organisations via its advice service and delivered bespoke training across the country to 250+ organisations via 35+ events on topics such as volunteering, fundraising and governance.
The IHSO continues to provide an advisory service and supports the regional Industrial Heritage Networks (IHNs) in the North West, North East, Yorkshire and West Midlands; and is developing more IHNs in other regions.
The IHNs are umbrella organisations offering free peer-to-peer support for the industrial heritage sector. The IHNs aim to improve communication and inclusivity between industrial heritage sites and organisations, improve their staff and volunteers’ skills and knowledge, and ensure they continue to attract existing and develop new audiences.
For more information please contact the IHSO, Joanna Turska, on joanna.turska@ironbridge.org.uk or visit: https://industrialheritagesupport.wordpress.com/.