Exciting opportunity for a heritage evaluation consultant

Following our recent success in being awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant, we are seeking a skilled and experienced heritage evaluation consultant to evaluate the project in line with National Lottery Heritage Fund guidance and best practice. The consultant must demonstrate experience of evaluating similar projects, from initial benchmarking through to the production of a final evaluation report that will be submitted to the funder, following an agreement of a draft by the Chief Executive.

We intend to appoint in March/April 2024 and anticipate that the work will take place throughout the life of the project which is currently due to end 31 May 2026. The exact timescale and approach to be agreed as part of the appointment process

Application will be based upon expressions of interest and interview.

For further details see the briefing document below. Application instructions can be found at the of the brief.

Heritage Evaluation Consultant Brief

Exciting Consultancy opportunity to help BCA undertake a comprehensive review of their governance, leadership, strategy, organisational structures, policies and practices

Buxton Civic Association (BCA) is delighted to announce a unique opportunity for an experienced Heritage Consultant to lead a comprehensive review of our governance, leadership, strategy, organisational structures, policies and practices. As the leading local environmental and heritage charity, BCA is transitioning from a relatively small, volunteer-led charity to a larger organisation, steered by a professional team overseeing operational management in collaboration with the Board of Trustees. We aspire to expand our membership and significantly enhance volunteer engagement, recognising the need for a thorough review and modernisation of our governance structures and working methods.

The appointed consultant will be instrumental in shaping the future of BCA, ensuring its ability to deliver on charitable objectives and sustain meaningful engagement with the community. This endeavour is paramount in securing a legacy that resonates with the next generation, fostering positive impacts on both the organisation and the town.

Join us on this journey of transformation, where your expertise will be integral to the evolution of a cherished local charity. You can be the catalyst for positive change, leaving a lasting imprint on the heritage and environmental landscape of Buxton and be a driving force behind a brighter future for BCA and the community it serves.

BCA are grateful for the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players in
funding this work.

To find out more and to apply download the Consultant Brief below

Consultant Brief - Governance/Leadership/Organisational Review

A quarter of a million reasons to be grateful at the start of 2024

Buxton Civic Association is delighted to announce that they will receive support totalling £249, 990 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s ‘Resilience and Recovery’ funding stream over the next two years. This investment will enable Buxton’s leading environmental heritage charity to begin preparations for its diamond anniversary in 2027, by enhancing their volunteering, visitor, and membership programmes, giving further emphasis to developing widespread community involvement and public engagement. The money will also enable reviews of digital provision, marketing, retail, and governance, allowing the BCA team to bring in two full-time project staff to support tasks, alongside a variety of expert consultants. Much needed conservation equipment and materials will also be purchased.

David Green, who wrote the funding application shortly after joining the charity as its first Chief Executive in 2023 said, “We are very grateful to everyone at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and all National Lottery players for their support. This money should be seen as a much-welcomed strategic investment in heritage conservation and engagement within our community.” He added, “The investment is a hugely exciting opportunity for Buxton Civic Association, and the residents of Buxton, who we are encouraging to get involved. Over the next two years we will be developing a number of new ways individuals and partner organisations will be able to help conserve our town’s heritage, maintaining Buxton as a special and popular place. We are really keen that we use this opportunity to grow our relevance to local residents, and celebrate our fantastic natural and built heritage”.


Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live and supporting environmental regeneration. At The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we want to ensure that heritage is valued, cared for and sustained by everyone now and in the future. We are pleased to be able to lend our support to Buxton Civic Association with the development of their programming and conservation of their local heritage, which will be crucial for Buxton and its community."

Buxton Civic Association is unique among Civic Associations, due to the number of assets it takes direct responsibility for. These not only include SSSI listed Poole’s Cavern, but also Grinlow Wood and Corbar Wood amongst others. BCA also campaigns actively within the town for high quality environmentally sensitive developments which encourage bio-diversity, whilst publishing a number of books and journals that celebrate the heritage of the town.

In 2020, as Buxton emerged from the pandemic, BCA embraced the chance to enhance its community engagement through the "Stronger Roots" initiative, a programme aimed at inspiring individuals to harness the positive impacts on wellbeing and mental health through closer interaction with nature. The programme facilitated a diverse range of woodland activities and volunteering opportunities. The resounding success of "Stronger Roots" inspired the trustees to continue its community-focused endeavours, and this Heritage Fund investment will allow the exploration of more diverse volunteering roles and visitor programming.

Anyone interested in applying for one of the project roles this grant will support, (Volunteering Development Manager, or, Membership and Marketing Officer), or volunteering with BCA should keep an eye on Buxton Civic Association’s website and social media, which will be used to promote opportunities and disseminate updates on the project to the community. (Contact - BCA (buxtoncivicassociation.org.uk) ) BCA also welcome potential partnership working opportunities from interested individuals and organisations.

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in the strategic plan, Heritage 2033.

Over the next ten years, the Heritage Fund aims to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.

The Heritage Fund helps protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.

The Heritage Fund is passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use

#NationalLotteryHeritageFund

www.heritagefund.org.uk

For further information about this exciting development or images contact David Green, Chief Executive Officer, Buxton Civic Association.
E: dave.green@buxtoncivicassociation.org.uk Tel: 01298 26978

News and Views from BCA November 2023

BCA E-Newsletter November 2023

A chance to celebrate BCA's Volunteer Trustees

The dedicated trustees of BCA volunteer their time and knowledge selflessly and deserve recognition, especially during Trustees Week. They and their efforts are often hidden in the background, but they play an indispensable role in guiding and nurturing Buxton's leading local environmental charity, enabling it to achieve its goals in looking after the built and natural environment of Buxton. Their voluntary service is a testament to the power of community spirit.

Coming from a diverse range of backgrounds and bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to their roles their contributions extend far beyond the boardroom; they offer strategic direction, foster innovation, and ensure that the charity's mission remains aligned with the needs of the community it serves, all while volunteering their time without any financial compensation.

Their motivation is fueled by a genuine desire to make Buxton a better place to live in and to visit, and their unwavering commitment to the causes they support is inspiring.

Halloween is just around the corner, and the team that bring your the fantastic Santa Cave experience have turned their hands to Halloween.. Are you feeling brave enough to venture underground.

Book your place on our Creepy Cavern Halloween tour

Read about the BCA in the latest edition of the Ranger magazine.

Words by Simon Fussell
Photos by Frag Last

The Ranger Magazine

Jon White gave a talk to BCA members "Green Space is not enough, do we need to reclaim the streets?" For those who missed the talk or if you want to watch it again here is the video.

Jon White outlined his ideas for a cleaner, safer Buxton to BCA members at their recent members talk

There’s gonna be a riot down in Water Street tonight

“Green space is not enough, we need to reclaim the streets” was the title of the BCA members talk given by Jon White, BCA trustee and Chair of the Places and Spaces group.

But this was not rallying cry to rip up the paving stones, and man the flaming barricades, wearing yellow vests, clutching copies of the Guardian and shouting "What do we want? Radical change, when do we want it? in due course."

This was no revolutionary manifesto but a considered and studious journey from Reggio Emilia an Italian city with a high proportion of budding child Caravaggio's amongst its 170,000 inhabitants, to the not so quiet back streets of Buxton, the quarry town, nestling amongst the greenery of the planation woodlands once of the Chatsworth estate and now beloved and cared for by Buxton Civic Association, a town dotted with Georgian buildings against a splatter of more mundane functional architecture. In essence a quarry town, with a bit of Georgian attitude.

We heard about the transformation of a neglected grot spot into a beautiful and award winning sensory garden, but how the peace and quiet was spoiled by the screech of brakes, as cars competed for the lack of space on the narrow congested and badly planned road system. We were shown pictures of minor accidents.

But all this could change, if only sensible policies were adopted and a one way system created to allow wide pavements and freedom for the pedestrian to stroll and amble along and across the road as the fancy took him. (Or her) The air would be cleaner, the environment safer, it would be a better place to live.

Some argued that this was too little, that the car should be banned from the streets all together. What we needed were brave politicians, to champion the rights of the pedestrian over the motorist, to force through the changes needed. Some recalled fondly of playing cricket on the backstreets of Bradford.

But the argument and evidence was compelling. The audience was won over, some went away excited hoping for change, others convinced but frustrated by the reality that in Britain today change is hard, and resisted by those in charge.

Perhaps we do need to reclaim the streets, to man the barricades. Perhaps.

But as people left for the sanctuary of their homes they were greeted by a heavy and persistent rain, a timely reminder perhaps of why reclaiming the streets is not as easy here as it is in a warmer clime.

BCA's house journal is now online. This edition looks at the built environment of Buxton

The second edition of the Buxtonian, the inhouse journal of Buxton Civic Association (BCA), is now online. This edition focuses on the built environment of Buxton. We are grateful to Michael Williams CEO of Buxton International Festival, Julian Cohen author of Buxton Pubs a social history, and Trevor Gilman Architect and local historian for their contributions. We hope you enjoy reading this edition. The next edition will focus on Water and will be published in December 2023.

The Buxtonian published on Issu