Funding boost for campaign to preserve heritage building skills

Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust has secured funding for a new campaign to help preserve traditional building skills and techniques for future generations.

The £20,000 award from Historic Environment Scotland will be used to encourage groups such as disadvantaged people, “academically disengaged” schoolchildren and adults in the criminal justice system, to consider building work as a future vocation.

The award was presented as part of HES’s Historic Environment Support Fund.

Thomas Knowles, head of grants at HES, said: “We are pleased to support Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust with £20,000 for this new heritage project.

“Keeping traditional skills alive is essential to enable us to care for Scotland’s built environment and the widening of engagement opportunities across society is to be welcomed.”

Daniel Postma, skills training officer at the Perth-based trust, said: “We’re delighted to receive this grant in support of our exciting new project.

“It is an essential contribution to the core funding we receive from the Gannochy Trust to help us deliver our strategic aims, which now includes heritage sector skills development.”

He said: “These projects provide life-enriching opportunities for young people and those starting out afresh, while enhancing and conserving the historic environment for the future, so it’s a win-win situation.”

The award scheme is used to support various one-off, heritage-related projects in Scotland. The closing date for applications is November 30.