YORK CONSORTIUM FOR CONSERVATION AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
Thanks to the efforts of Sophie Norton, co-ordinator for the Yorkshire and Humber National Heritage Training Academy (NHTA), subsidies are available to meet the costs of training in heritage skills. The funding for this is from the Enhancement Fund, a jointly funded project by Yorkshire Forward and the European Social Fund, co-financed by the Learning and Skills Council. The NHTA’s partners, Craven College, York College, and the University of York, are now able to deliver to small companies based in Yorkshire training in a variety of heritage skills with a subsidy of up to 60% of the cost. The training available includes specialist subjects such as dry stone walling, blacksmithing and stained glazing, as well as underpinning knowledge subjects such as conservation principles and specification writing. Individuals can benefit from a number of such short courses, as well register for their heritage skills NVQ3, so that they gain full qualification and a wide range of skills and knowledge. For more information about the training opportunities please contact Sophie Norton on 01904 433950.
There are many gaps in the process of providing training in heritage-related crafts, a shortage of qualified assessors being a key one. Consortium member Glenn Young has taken an entrepreneurial approach to this problem, setting up his own business Heritage Craft Alliance Ltd based in Bedale. The company aims to work with contracting companies, individual craftsmen, craft departments of further education colleges, and heritage site owners, to provide opportunities for craftsmen to gain advanced qualifications in heritage crafts by working on heritage sites and having their developed skills relevantly assessed. The key to this has been finding, and training, the assessors, and bringing them into contact with the qualifying craftsmen and their employers. The initial target is to get more craftsmen qualified to NVQ3.
Glenn has all the right background, having himself started as a carpenter and joiner 40 years ago in rural Yorkshire. He then worked as trainer and assessor with large educational establishments such as the British Standards Institution, and finally as manager of the Centre for Construction and Heritage Skills at Craven College, where he built a formidable reputation. Unsurprisingly therefore his first year as an independent business has been highly successful, having trained five heritage assessors and two verifiers, and facilitated 100 candidates in achieving NVQ3 in heritage skills. His assessment clients include British Waterways, the National Trust, the HLF Building Bursary scheme, and the Prince’s Foundation, and his training clients include the NHS, local authorities, and schools.
Recently Glenn has worked with INTBAU on a successful bid to the Leonardo Fund offering fully-funded training places for Foundation, intermediate and master class students. These places offer the opportunity to train on medieval buildings in Transylvania. Some places are still available for the 2012 courses. Contact heritagecraftalliance@gmail.com, or telephone 01667 422289.
The 2012 annual lecture, given in memory of John Shannon who did so much to promote conservation in York, was given by journalist and author Jeremy Musson. His theme was "HIstoric Ruins", the subject of his recently published book. Using an excellent selection of illustrations and demonstrating a depth of historical knowledge, he conveyed to his audience the fascination inspired in him by ruins from a wide range of past uses and eras.
At the AGM in June two new members were elected to the Executive Committee following the resignations in the course of the year of Keith Barley. The new members are Alex Barnes from York College and Sylvia Hogarth, who is the Honorary Secretary of the Consortium. James Grierson has taken over the role of Honorary Secretary of the Foundation which is responsible for the bursary programme.