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New accredited training to support heritage in communities

14 February 2024

Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Our Heritage, Our Future team has started work with communities in Sutherland, the Western Isles and Falkirk to bring heritage alive through training to support the planning and delivery of heritage walking tours.

Working in collaboration with Lairg and District Learning Centre, Outer Hebrides Heritage Forum and community members in the Falkirk area, the Our Heritage, Our Future programme has developed a new training course which is being piloted in areas across the three locations.

The free four-week courses kicked off in January and will allow up to 18 people the opportunity to learn research techniques, increase audience engagement and gain accreditation while sharing their passion and knowledge for local places and their heritage with the wider community.  

Lisa Snedden, Our Heritage, Our Future Coordinator, said: “Through the Our Heritage, Our Future programme we work with communities to explore, record and protect the traditions, buildings, streets, green and blue spaces that are important to them.

“The training we are delivering in Sutherland, the Western Isles and Falkirk develops skills and is fully accredited by SQA; it can also be a fun activity to be involved in which helps people get outdoors, supports their health and wellbeing and connects them to their place and environment.”

Lairg & District Learning Centre manager Aileen Ogilvie said: "The programme aims to inspire communities to consider how their historic environment can both benefit from, and be a driver for, local action. Lairg & District Learning Centre are delighted to be collaborating with Keep Scotland Beautiful on this opportunity which offers people in Lairg and wider Sutherland area the chance to develop their own skills using their local area as inspiration.

"We hope that those who attend the training will be able to put their skills into practice by delivering guided tours in their local area and share their knowledge with local people and visitors to the area. Participants may also learn new things about their local area when they carry out their research tasks.”

Keep Scotland Beautiful is currently developing further courses around heritage and climate change. Anyone who is interested can contact communities@keepscotlandbeautiful.org for more information.

Our Heritage, Our Future has been made possible with support from Historic Environment Scotland and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery Players.

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