David McDonald, IHBC President, and Carla Pianese, IHBC Support Officer, represented the IHBC’s outreach and recruitment stand at the recent day conference of the National Federation of Builders (NFB) Heritage Group in Manchester’s historic Gorton Monastery venue.
image Gorton Monastery
David McDonald said: ‘This was a great opportunity to engage with the different stakeholders and organisations involved in the development of heritage skills and building craft across the NFB’s Heritage Group network. We had a lot in common to share at our busy exhibition stand, and we were very pleased to accept the invitation as a key sector partner in this new initiative’.
‘The conference outlined many case studies covering the sustainability of heritage projects, while being hosted at the Monastery was another great opportunity to hear about the fascinating story of its rise, decline and rejuvenation though a magnificent restoration project.’
The NFB writes:
The success of the NFB Heritage Group launch event in February 2017 certainly surpassed expectations and it’s important that we take this enthusiasm for the heritage built environment forward and ensure the needs of this group are met and represented across the industry. By running an annual NFB Heritage Group event we aim to build upon, and report back on the progress made by the heritage group, as well as wider developments from within the sector.
The heritage sector is still a resource under threat with skills, experience and expertise being lost to future generations. Without these skills we will be unable to repair and care for our historic buildings, highlighting the need for immediate, strong and sustained action to prevent further erosion of the skills base. Members of the NFB Heritage Group will join the wider NFB membership and construction companies with a particular focus and interest in the built heritage environment, to address some of these challenges and hear keynote addresses from relevant and influential heritage industry stakeholders.
