Guide to Heritage Open Days
(Adapted from the Organiser’s Guide of the Civic Trust)

1. About Heritage Open Days

Heritage Open Days is now England’s largest voluntary cultural event. Every year, over four days over the second weekend in September, more than 2,800 properties open their doors free of charge as part of Heritage Open Days. It is co-ordinated by The Civic Trust, and is made possible by generous funding from English Heritage and benefits from a partnership with English Heritage’s Outreach Team, which works across the country, building networks of new organisers in communities that haven’t taken part before. In addition, the Heritage Lottery Fund supports the event’s Audience Development Programme for schools, children and their families, encouraging them to learn and work with event organisers.

Whatever your interests, and whatever buildings or properties you are responsible for, the Civic Trust can help. They can help by providing the following:

• advice on opening up properties or the staging of event(s) over Heritage Open Days;
• ideas for effective, tried-and-tested learning activities to engage visitors of all ages;
• tips for promoting your event effectively;
• guidance on how to work more closely with schools;
• details of where to apply for additional funding.

2. Benefits of getting involved

Getting involved will help you raise the profile of your property or organisation. It can also attract visitors from all over the UK and beyond, make a real difference to your community and provide new and exciting opportunities for children’s learning. It can also help raise the profile of your Church or Methodist site as well as publicising its activities, its faith and witness in your local community.

3. Taking part in Heritage Open Days

1. Check your property/event is eligible to take part

It is not necessary that participating properties are of outstanding architectural quality, nor does the Civic Trust impose a narrow definition of `heritage` on people organising events. All they ask is that all buildings are of interest to visitors, or that events reflect in some way a shared past, present – or even future.

The Civic Trust, however, only operates in England. If your church wants to take part and is outside of England, then don’t worry; there are still enough resources around for you to participate in the scheme. Simply register the Methodist Church and be a part of the overall celebrations on the same four days and be a part of the 300 churches celebrating 300 years since Charles' birth.

The four simple entry criteria are that all participating properties should be:

• of architectural, social or cultural interest;
• open for at least part of the Heritage Open Days week (Thursday to Sunday in the second week of September);
• free of charge to all visitors or – if normally free of charge – offering an additional attraction (event, exhibition, display, guided tour etc);
• supported by some form of interpretation, enabling visitors to learn more.

2. Registration

Once properties you wish to open or events you wish to stage have been decided upon, they must be registered with the Heritage Open Days team at the Civic Trust.
This will be done centrally by the Methodist Church but further details can be obtained from the Civic Trust by emailing hods@civictrust.org.uk or telephoning 0870 240 5251. They are also available for download at www.heritageopendays.org or contact Adam Dyjasek, Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR. 0207 467 5125 – dyjaseka@methodistchurch.org.uk

You may wish to download a copy of the Heritage Open Days organiser's handbook here. http://www.heritageopendays.com/education/organisers.shtml

3. Take part in a regional workshop

Each year, the Heritage Open Days (HOD) team offers workshops across England, at which they offer tips, where you can make valuable contacts and share ideas on how to make your event appeal to a wider audience and discover new ways of helping visitors interpret your property. Workshops are held in all regions and also cover such aspects as marketing or starting a press campaign.

4. Get Help

Many organisers take part in HOD as members of a society or as employees of an organisation, such as a local council. As a result, these people are usually able to draw on help from their colleagues or fellow members. If you’re not in this position, it’s a good idea to recruit people to assist you (in our case, this may mean people from a neighbouring church). It does mean that perhaps you can reach a bigger audience and share the enjoyment of taking part with like-minded people.

If further staffing resources are required, you could invite volunteers from, perhaps, a local history society, youth groups, Women’s Institute or even advertise in a local paper. If young people are needed, posters could be put in local schools, colleges or universities. Another good route is your nearest volunteering bureau (details may be found at www.volunteering.org.uk  and www.do-it.org).

5. Think Ahead

Start thinking about HOD early and you should have plenty of time to plan your event for September 2007.

Decide whether you wish to offer tours, trails or other events such as concerts, exhibitions and demonstrations that will take place at a specific time, and whether you will require visitors to book a place. You may even want to consider whether you would like to team up with other local organisers to offer a rich variety of linked properties and events. For information about who else is taking part, contact the Civic Trust.

6. Think about your audience

A successful event appeals to people from a variety of age groups, backgrounds and communities. Ensure that your proposed programme will appeal in a way that it will attract a wide variety of visitors, such as:

• offering simple, fun activities that will appeal to children and families (see Section 4 for further details);
• emphasising in your marketing that visiting your property or taking part in an event is free! Entrance charges are a barrier to many people, so underlining this fact will encourage more to come along;
• considering if there are there community groups in your area that you would like to involve? (Why not work with another religious group to open up a mosque, church, meeting house or temple as part of the local HOD programme?);
• interpreting your church or site in a more accessible way.

7. Spreading the Word

Getting the message out about your activities is perhaps the most important part of your HOD preparation. See Section 6 `Promoting your Open Days to All`.

8. Interpreting your property

It is suggested that organisers should offer their visitors one or more forms of interpretation, allowing them to learn more about the historical, cultural, social and architectural merit or significance of the property or event. Many provide simple, printed guides to their building, but it’s worth thinking of other ways to enhance the visitor experience.

The following notes may help you ensure your visitors find the interpretation more understandable and legible:

The accessibility of different formats is of particular importance to people with disabilities. When providing text, consider the simple guide below, which will make text easier for everyone to read.

• Type documents and captions instead of handwriting them.
• Use a minimum text size of 14 points.
• Use a sans-serif font (such as Arial, Helvetica or Geneva). Use Comic Sans sparingly – many young people find it patronising.
• Avoid italics, underlining or USING ONLY CAPITAL LETTERS – these make it hard for some people to make out the outline of the words.
• Bold print is much more legible.
• Use matt paper that is thick enough to conceal anything printed on the reverse side. The glare from glossy paper can reduce the legibility.
• Don’t justify text.
• Break up large blocks of text with pictures or bullet points.
• If possible, use different languages to reflect those spoken by members of your local community. You don’t need to translate the whole text – use key phrases for sentences that will get people interested. The phrase `Free to Explore` in a wide range of languages can be downloaded from the HOD website.
• Avoid jargon and always explain technical terms.

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES – children and adults get inspired by learning in a wide range of ways. Offer activities that give them the chance to touch, pick things up, learn through play and get involved. Remember that simple and cheap ideas can be as effective as high-tech or complicated activities.

AUDIO RECORDINGS – are very popular and effective and, with care, can be relatively economical to make.

• Make the actual recording on site – accurate acoustics are important to visually-impaired people and add to the atmosphere for all listeners.
• Use the best quality tapes and recorders to which you have access.
• Including directions is particularly helpful to partially-sighted people.
• Describe important features of your property, especially those that are fragile or out of reach.

AREAS DIFFICULT TO REACH – if there are areas that people with mobility impairments find hard to access, interpret these areas in a space that everyone can use. Use photographs, displays, documents, videos and other information to help people learn more about the entire building.

Make it clear, in advance, to visitors if there are any difficulties with access to the property – this can be an important factor in deciding whether to visit.

PLANS – put a plan of the building near the entrance so that visitors know where the exhibitions or any features or performances might be. If possible, produce a simple guide including a map, information of particular interest and a timetable of events – these could all be offered to visitors.

9. Evaluation

Though what might seem a chore, evaluation is one of the most important features of HOD events. If you ask visitors what they thought of the day, how they would improve it and which parts they enjoyed the most, you will gather valuable material that might help you improve the future visitor experience at your property. (The Civic Trust can provide sites with special evaluation forms – one for adults and the other for children).

One good tip is to have a manned desk near the entrance to your property from which visitors can be welcomed, handed information and, before leaving, ask them to complete an evaluation form. If possible, ensure a table and chairs are available for visitors to write their responses while sitting down, or give them a clip-board to make the task easier. As an added incentive, you could give those who complete them the chance to take part in a prize draw for a small prize.

4. Inspired Learning

Curiosity and learning are at the heart of all HOD events. Visitors can take the opportunity to peep into buildings that are normally closed or locked and find out more about them. The most popular events are those where there are exhibits and activities that appeal to all ages. Written information is invaluable to help people explore a property, but so are opportunities to handle objects or artefacts, make drawings or models, feel and wear period clothing, taste foods from different eras and cultures or solve puzzles based on the event. Here are a few tips and suggestions you might consider:-

CHILDREN`S ACTIVITIES

To make the venue appeal to children, you might consider the following:

• providing special activity tables for children to sit and provide coloured pencils or paper (often these are already available in a primary or junior department of a church);
• placing pots of sweets or other treats on the tables;
• displaying children’s work relating to the property - a local school might be able to help with this;
• providing a small number of toys that younger children can play with under the supervision of their parents, guardian or other responsible person. Picture books are a good idea;
• if offering refreshments, remember to include juice and biscuits for younger visitors;
• providing small `prizes` for children who have taken part in activities or created work on the day;
• making simple certificates to give to children, which will remind them of their visit;
• if possible, involving children in organising your Open Day(s) and assign them useful roles.

The acid test of any activity is enjoyment. Here are a few ideas for `HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN:

Building – young visitors can use wooden bricks to build arches and recreate historical bricklaying techniques and patterns.
Calligraphy – for older children, provide quills, dip pens and inks to help them recreate period manuscripts and letters. Making quill pens is popular too.
Coat of Arms – use the site as an inspiration for creating coat of arms for historical characters or some representation for biblical characters.
Costumes – use any materials you can find so children can make simple period costumes. Why not also organise some role-play activities?
Dolls – making peg dolls is a fun and creative way to get immersed in the Victorian or Edwardian eras. These are made out of wooden `dolly pegs` and can be dressed in a limitless range of handmade costumes.
Drawing – sketches of artefacts, architectural details or the whole property. Alternatively, provide pictures of your building and/or its interior for children to colour in.
Face Painting – face paints are available from many arts and crafts shops. Paintings, carvings and artefacts might all suggest designs, as well as historical figures. (Remember that some children are allergic to paints. Always check with a parent or guardian.)
Graffiti Board – create a large board with questions about the property written on it. Supply children (and other visitors) with post-it notes so that they can tell you what they think.
Jewellery – using string, beads, aluminium foil, cardboard, shells and other materials to make necklaces, pendants, bracelets and rings from various periods.
Jigsaws – make a jigsaw out of a photograph of your building by cutting it up and mounting on cardboard. If preferred, some companies such as www.photobox.co.uk will do this professionally for you – but it will cost.
Mosaics – use water-soluble glue to stick tiles to paper to recreate mosaics (possibly adapted from a floor pattern in the building).
Period food – offering this can be popular for children, especially if sweet or sticky. However, first check with your local council for regulations regarding provision of food.
Period games – play simple period games of appropriate periods covered by your building. There are many websites such as www.tradegames.org.uk that will supply you with rules or sell equipment. Popular games include skipping, hopscotch, marbles, whip and top etc.
Photography – older children may bring digital cameras or mobile phones. Encourage them to focus on unusual details or look out for artefacts or objects they aren’t familiar with (its also a good idea to provide them with an email address so that they can send their digital images to you – why not offer a prize for the best ones? – these could be invaluable for a display in future years).
Quizzes – these could relate to your property and its history, using pictures as well as written questions. If you are expecting a group of children in at the same time, you could stage a proper quiz session.
Acting, Singing & Dancing
Acting – organise an historical re-enactment of either a local event from your site’s history or an event from the local history of your community. Don’t be afraid to use costume. This is a great help towards obtaining local media coverage.
Singing – research songs or hymns from the relevant period(s). Folk songs and political songs can also be appealing.
Dancing – is there a group of local folk dancers you could invite to participate and perhaps teach to children?
Storytelling – extremely popular and can easily bring your property to life for young people. If you don      t feel confident to do this, there may be gifted storytellers amongst your volunteers.
Writing - a well-designed worksheet can be thought-provoking and popular.
Tips on designing this could incorporate the following aspects:

• questions and activities should relate specifically to the visit and should require children to thoroughly investigate the property;
• tasks should encourage children to observe, discover and hypothesise;
• design questions that invite a variety of responses, such as describing, comparing, drawing, note-taking, poetry and creative writing;
• exploring a property using other senses than sight can help children gain fresh perspectives on their surroundings;
• encourage children to perhaps imagine what it might be like to worship or work in the property;
• encourage children to identify and record how the property has changed over time, both physically and in its local environment.

 ACTIVITIES FOR ADULTS:

Many of the aforegoing Children’s Activities may appeal to adults. However, you may also want to offer activities that will have more of an appeal to an older audience, such as the following:

TALKS AND TOURS – why not offer visitors a themed talk or take them on a guided tour of the property? You could also invite a local historian or knowledgeable person, author or conservation officer to give a talk and/or a tour. Be sure to give visitors the chance to ask questions.

TRAILS – does your property have a connection with other buildings or sites in the area? If so, why not organise a guided trail to help people explore the neighbourhood (note that self-guided trails cannot be registered with HOD!) This activity may also interest older children.

CONCERT, MUSICAL OR DRAMA PERFORMANCE – your property might be an ideal venue for a concert, soiree, musical evening or performance of some dramatic work, which also gives you the chance to promote your other HOD events to the audience. (The Methodist Anniversaries of 2007 should present numerous opportunities for interpreting these themes in one or more of these formats over the HOD period).

LEARNING NEW SKILLS – the chance for adults (and possibly children) to learn more about conservation techniques, archaeological skills, weaving or embroidery, family or local history research, research from documents and the internet and other leisure pursuits.

MAKE THE BEST USE OF SPACE

Offering activities for families can sometimes take up a lot of space. The following tips may help:

• use outdoor space if possible and if weather permits;
• use a booking system for tours (dependant on demand) or stagger them throughout the day - this will help to `spread the load` across the day;
• use floor coverings, especially if you are offering messy activities or can’t fit in tables or chairs.

5. Working with Schools and Young People

Although Heritage Open Days take place in September, some organisers work with
Schools and Young People throughout the year. They help schools in using the built environment as a learning source. For further details, contact hods@civictrust.org.uk or telephone 0870 240 5251.

6. Promoting your Open Days to all

The Civic Trust publish an England-wide programme to help promote events both
nationally and locally. They do this in two main ways; through their event directories, and by supplying organisers with special promotional materials and templates for press releases.

EVENT DIRECTORIES are extremely popular with HOD visitors across the country, allowing them to plan which sites and events they would like to visit in each area. The directories come in two formats – printed booklets and on-line listings on the world wide web. Both versions contain details of each event, its location, travel directions and opening times, along with any pre-booking requirements, parking and access facilities and information about whether a property is normally open to the public. (The printed directories are available on request from Tourist Information Centres (TICs) and list every property or event that is registered with the Civic Trust by the beginning of May each year. Since 2004, the directories have been issued as eight regional booklets, each covering one of the following regions: South West & Jersey; South East; East of England; East Midlands; West Midlands; Yorkshire; North East; and North West.

The online directory, which is available from mid-July at www.heritageopendays.org reaches out to an even larger number of potential visitors (over 36,000 people visited the website in the first two weeks of September 2004 alone!).

NATIONAL PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS are also produced by the Civic Trust to raise awareness of the event and includes flyers, posters and bookmarks. They are distributed by TICs, libraries and many other places. In addition, all properties and events registered for HOD receive special posters that allow you to add details of your own event on available blank space. You will also be able to download an electronic poster and leaflet templates from the website (as above). These can be edited on-screen and printed out at home or at a copy shop.

LOCAL PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS are also encouraged in addition to the above as a good way of spreading the message about your event by creating your own publicity. Now that most people have access to, and the skills to use word-processing and design software to produce professional-looking marketing materials, you could consider producing some or all of the following publicity materials:

posters, flyers, bookmarks, brochures (especially if you are organising more than one event), stickers (for children), banners and balloons.

If you have a theme for your event(s), it’s also a good idea to produce promotional materials that reflect it.

ADVERTISING

Once you have produced your promotional materials, you need to display them where they can be seen in your community - where people go to meet, shop, worship or relax. These could include places such as: leisure centres, libraries, museums, TICs, schools, playgroups, post offices, pubs, shops and supermarkets, restaurants and cafes, hotels and bed & breakfast establishments, youth groups, places of worship, clinics, hospitals and GP surgeries, women’s organisations, community centres, town halls and civic buildings, youth hostels and on popular walking routes or canal towpaths.

OTHER PROMOTIONAL TIPS
             
Many organisers don’t just rely on printed materials to advertise their events, but aim to take their message into the heart of the community. Here are a few ideas:

Make contact with other Heritage Open Days Organisers
In many areas a variety of individuals and organisations will be working to open up their properties or stage events. Why not work together to produce promotional materials or even join your events together under a common theme or programme? Ask the Civic Trust for details.

Stage an exhibition in a public building
Ask at your local library, museum or other community building whether you can mount a simple display, perhaps made up of old photographs of your property, information about points of interest and your promotional materials. Staging such an exhibition about three to four weeks before the HOD may really kindle interest and encourage visitors to come to your event.

Fancy dress or period costume
This is not for everyone but can be a much better way of obtaining some good local press coverage. Again, if a photo call is arranged with the local media about three weeks prior to your event, it could pay dividends in the coverage you receive. The media are always looking for good stories and are likely to give you better coverage if you can support any press information with a photograph of people in costume. In turn, this is more likely to catch the eye of readers or viewers in the local newspapers or, if fortunate enough, on regional television.  

Work with schoolchildren
It’s a good idea to involve children from your church; failing this, then perhaps a local school, to put on a display of children’s work or other activity both prior to and during the HOD weekend. It will broaden the appeal of your event and encourage pupils to bring their families and friends to see their work or activity.

Hold a special launch
One of the best ways to drum up interest in your programme of events is to hold a special launch over HOD. One of the simplest ways to do this is to invite a local `celebrity`, such as a town mayor, sporting person, local author or stage personality to open the event. Aim to have at least an exhibition on offer to attract visitors to the launch. One or two costumed characters might make the event more colourful and help achieve wider press coverage – especially if you are offering a special activity such as a town trail, musical performance or story-telling session.

Provide refreshments
There may be no such thing as a free lunch but tea, juice and biscuits are inexpensive and popular. You might also sell cakes or other home-made dainties. However, if you do plan any catering and you are unsure about food & hygiene legislation, get in touch with your local Environmental Health Officer at your local authority, who will be able to advise you which, if any, regulations might apply to your event.

Use different languages on your promotional materials
Not suggesting that you produce versions of all your materials in different languages, but it`s a good idea to translate key phrases to make people feel welcome. (This is especially important in multi-faith areas of inner cities!) You can request from the Civic Trust an electronic version of the text `celebrate your community`, and translations of the phrase `free to explore`, for inclusion in your materials.

PUBLICITY: PROMOTING YOUR EVENT TO THE MEDIA

This can sometimes be a `hit and miss` activity, so the following tips may help:

Have a unique story to tell
You need to offer a good story with a fresh perspective. Examples are a special launch, a theme, a performance by school pupils or the endorsement of a local `celebrity` or civic leader. It’s also worth thinking about other ways in which to make your event or property more newsworthy. Is there an historical character associated with your church or surrounding area where there might be some link? Are you providing access to a building that is rarely accessible to the public (i.e. a church tower, church archives, undercroft, a minister’s vestry or maybe some focal activity based on stained glass windows?) Are you offering a range of activities for the whole family?

Whatever angle you choose, for the purposes of media promotion keep it simple. Reporters like to be given the key facts of any story, rather than being bombarded with detailed information. If they’re interested, they’ll ask for more details. Again, offer them an opportunity of a photo call.

Press releases and selling your story
The Civic Trust’s own press campaign begins in March, when they start contacting magazines that have copy deadlines several months in advance of publication. If you have any stories or photographs, let them know as soon as you can. It could lead to wider publicity. However, the best way to secure local coverage is to contact the local media yourself.  Why not send a short press release to each newspaper, magazine or local radio station – a short newsworthy summary of your plans?

Sending out your press release(s)
When you’re happy with your press release, you need to decide to whom it needs to be sent. Don’t forget to include regional radio and television stations – as well as newspapers – in your campaign. (If you are unsure of these, it is suggested you contact your local reference library and ask to see a copy of `Benn`s Media` directory `UK edition`, which gives a comprehensive listing of most media outlets.) Make sure you send the press release to as wide a variety of local media organisations as possible. Never try and give details of your event over the telephone – unless you are asked by a journalist! This can often lead to mistakes or misunderstandings. The written word of a press release is a far more positive way of ensuring correct information is printed. If they do publish incorrect information, a polite letter or phone call usually results in a correction being published.

How to get your press release(s) noticed by local media
Address your release to the News Editor (or News desk) and send it about 2 or 3 weeks prior to the event. This gives you the chance to phone them a few days beforehand, reminding them of your plans.

Along with the press release, send a copy of your HOD programme and other relevant material (possibly a photograph). This gives a journalist the chance to discover background information without having to spend too much time on research. Never ring a journalist after 10 a.m. unless they ask you to – they are busy and will have other stories to chase. Never phone just to ask if they received the release.
Remember also that weekly newspapers go to press two or even three days before they are issued. It’s best to check editorial deadlines well in advance. Some magazines also have copy deadlines several months before publication.

Before you start, spend some time reading your local newspaper(s), especially stories that are event-based. Get a feel for how the stories are constructed, and try to provide relevant information in your release. Do not try to write the release in the form of a news story, but do try to include information that might appear in the final story, and leave out information that is unlikely to. Avoid “churchy” language – use words and phrases that newspaper readers are going to understand but don’t talk down to them.

HOW TO WRITE A SUCCESSFUL PRESS RELEASE

Always use letter-headed paper for your church, site, circuit or district (as appropriate). Many churches already have their own letter-headed paper. If not already in possession of your own `Press Release` notepaper, then type the words `Press Release` in bold print – just below the letter heading information.

The format of a press release is as follows:

Date - Just put the date you send it out.

Heading  - choose a brief eye-catching title that summarises the story you have to offer.

First paragraph – say in a nutshell what you are about to do. This is the section in which you try and attract a journalist’s attention - so make it as sharp, short and as relevant as you can!

Second paragraph – use this to elaborate on the information given in the first paragraph, concentrating on the range of attractions that will be available at the event.

Third, fourth and fifth paragraphs – if possible, confine extra details to the second paragraph. If this is not feasible, add them concisely to paragraphs 3 and 4. After this, use a paragraph to include a quote from the event organiser or minister, possibly highlighting what an enjoyable opportunity your event will be and why people will want to attend.

Final paragraph – summarise by directing the reader to further information, details of dates, opening hours.

Further details – at the foot of the press release, always quote the name and telephone number (and/or e-mail address) of a person who can be contacted who has full knowledge about the event(s) or what is due to take place over the HOD. It is also useful to set a place and time for a photo opportunity – which should be quoted.

Try and keep all information to one side of A4 notepaper. It is more likely to be fully read and is less time consuming for the journalist. They will usually contact you if they require further information.

The following is given as a completely fictitious example as to how to set out a Press Release:

OXMINSTER METHODIST CHURCH
High Street, Oxminster, Wiltshire WN3 2JB Tel: 0123 604172
Minister Revd. John Smith BD

       PRESS RELEASE

31 August 2005

OPEN DAYS
 
OXMINSTER`S METHODIST HERITAGE ON SHOW!

The general public is to have a unique opportunity of seeing Oxminster Methodist Church’s fine collection of historical items on display between 8 and 11 September 2005 in the new church hall. The display will include a collection of rare ceramics and visitors will also get the chance to see an historic chair from which John Wesley preached in the town’s market to a large congregation of 5,000 people in 1784.

 Included in the display will also be an exhibition of photographs about the history of the church and guided tours of the buildings will take place on the hour. There will also be storytelling sessions for children along with special competitions and games.  Organised by the local Methodist district, the activities and openings of the event will form part of Heritage Open Days, a national event coordinated by the Civic Trust and funded by English Heritage.

To accompany the four day series of events, local churches will also be joining forces at Oxminster Methodist to present a pageant – `Our Proud Methodist History` - on Saturday evening, 10 September at 7.30p.m. Those taking part will include church members from Oxminster together with children from three local Sunday Schools and the choir of Oxminster Comprehensive School. The church, originally built in 1839, will be open from 10.00a.m. to 4.00p.m. each day, except Sunday, when the building will be open between 2.00 and 4.00 p.m. (Sunday services will take place at 10.30a.m. and 6.30p.m. at which families and visitors will be most welcome to join.)

Church minister, the Revd John Smith said “This is the first time our new church hall will have been used for such an event and we are sure there will be much to interest both local people and visitors of all ages.”  “The exhibition will also include local crafts and a large bust of John Wesley, kindly loaned by a private dealer in Wales”, he added.

 For further details and tickets for the pageant, contact: Mrs. J. Wheeler. Telephone: (0123) 60495 Email: jwheeler@software.co.uk
PHOTO EDITORS – Costumed characters will assemble outside the church at 9.15am on Tuesday, 15 August 2005 for a photo opportunity.

(Heritage Open Days activities will take place all over England from 8-11 September 2005 as part of the European Heritage Days initiative. Full details of Heritage Open Days activities are available from Tourist Information Centres and the Civic Trust website www.heritageopendays.org )

OTHER WAYS OF PUBLICISING HERITAGE OPEN DAYS

Newsletters
Are there local societies, churches or other groups that publish a regular newsletter in your area? If so, why not get in touch and ask if you can contribute a piece about your event? Possible avenues to explore might include family and local history societies, religious or faith groups, civic societies and amenity groups, schools and colleges, museums and libraries.

Websites
If you have a website, be sure to advertise your event on it. If not, are there community or society websites or local listings guides that would be willing to carry details of your project?

Sponsors
Is there a local company or organisation that you can approach to sponsor your event? If so, it might give you a hand publicising your event – whether through contributing to the cost of your materials or by using its own publicity channels. Having a local sponsor is also very newsworthy – don’t forget to mention it in your press release

7. Funding your event

Most Heritage Open Days events are run on a shoestring, but did you know that you can apply for money to support many different types of activities? This section contains ideas about where to look and some advice on writing applications.

There are many sources of funding open to you, ranging from national organisations to small, local trusts. You can, of course, raise money by holding jumble sales, coffee mornings, stalls or selling souvenirs, but this section will help you approach funders and give you some tips for making a successful application. There is, however, no substitute for doing more detailed research of your own. Half the battle is matching your project with the right funder – and for that you have to find out about each organisation`s remit and priorities.

BEFORE YOU START

If you are planning to apply for funding, you need to remember you stand a greater chance of success if you belong to an organisation that is a registered charity. This has many advantages:

• you can recover tax through the Gift Aid scheme;
• funders will be reassured that you are accountable;
• many funders will only give to registered charities.

That said, even if you are fundraising on behalf of an organisation, you may decide that the additional administration work required to gain registered charity status is simply not worth it. This is often the case with organisations that have very low incomes. Some funders will still be willing to grant you money, provided that your organisation has a written constitution and properly-audited accounts. For more information on registering as a charity, visit the Charities Commission website at www.charity-commission.gov.uk

WHERE TO APPLY

There are thousands of trusts, foundations and other organisations that may be willing to fund your activities. Some are national, others are local and many have very specific criteria for applications. One good place to start your search is by consulting the Directory for Social Change. This organisation aims to help voluntary and community organisations thrive through advice on fundraising, managing resources and planning for the future. It also publishes guides on fundraising, such as A Guide to the Major Trusts. More information is available on the organisation`s website at www.dsc.org.uk

If you are keen on working with children out of normal school hours, fundraising guides are published by the community charity ContinYou. More information is available about these publications at www.continyou.org.uk

GOOD FUNDRAISING

There are many guides to good fundraising, and it is recommended that you consult one if this area of work is new to you (see below for list). However, you might find the following ideas helpful in making a successful application:

• make sure your project addresses the priorities of the funder you plan to approach;
• ask for a realistic amount of money - only ask for large sums if you or your organisation has experience of managing them;
• emphasise why you think your project is unique – and will make more of a difference than the many others which funders consider regularly;
• involve partners in your proposal – be seen to work well with others;
• show how you will measure what your project will achieve.

PUBLICATIONS

The Youth Funding Guide by Nicola Eastwood (Editor).  London: Directory of Social Change, 2002   ISBN 1900360969
Schools Funding Guide by Nicola Eastwood (Editor) London: Directory of Social Change, 2001  ISBN 1900360578
The School Fundraiser by David Poppitt, Birmingham: Questions 2001 ISBN 184190046X
Fundraising from Grant-making Trusts and Foundations by Karen Gilchrist, London: Directory of Social Change, 2000  ISBN 1900360772
Writing Better Fundraising Applications by Michael Norton & Mike Eastwood. London: Directory of Social Change in association with the Institute of Fundraising. 2002  ISBN 1903991099

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS
The following is a selection of organisations that may be able to fund imaginative projects that focus on young people and Heritage Open Days. You are strongly advised to visit each organisation`s website (if they have one) for further details:

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 98 Portland Place, London W1B 1ET Tel: 020 7636 5313  Website: www.gulbenkian.org.uk
The Carnegie UK Trust, Comely Park House, Dunfermline, Fife KY12 7EJ Tel: 01383 721445  Website: www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk
Clore Duffield Foundation, Studio 3, Chelsea Manor Studios, Flood Street, London SW3 5SR Tel: 020 7351 6061 Website:http://www.cloreduffield.org.uk/
The Ernest Cook Trust, The Estate Office, Fairford Park, Fairford, Gloucestershire GL7 4JH Tel: 01285 713272 Website: www.ernestcooktrust.org.uk
The Foyle Foundation, Rugby Chambers, 2 Rugby Street, London WC1N 3QU Tel: 020 7430 9119 Website: www.foylefoundation.org.uk
Garfield Weston Foundation, Weston House, Bowater House, 68 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LQ Tel: 020 7589 6363
Laing`s Charitable Trust, 133 Page Street, Mill Hill, London NW7 2ER Tel: 020 8959 3636
The PF Charitable Trust, The Secretary, Ely House, 37 Dover Street, London W1S 4NJ Tel: 020 7409 5600
Ragdoll Foundation, Timothy`s Bridge Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 9QN Tel: 01789 404116 0r 01753 631801 Website: www.ragdollfoundation.org.uk
The Truemark Trust, Attn. of Judy Hayward, PO Box 2, Liss, Hampshire GU336YP
Unltd Millenium Awards, Head Office/London Office, 123 Whitecross Street, Islington, London EC1Y 8JJ, Tel: 020 7566 1100 Website: www.unltd.org.uk

CORPORATE TRUSTS
Abbey Charitable Trust, PO Box 911, Milton Keynes MK9 1AD Tel: 0870 608 0104
Lloyds TSB Foundation for England & Wales, 3rd Floor, 4 St. Dunstan`s Hill, London EC3R 8UL Tel: 0870 411 1223
Website: http://www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk/

LOTTERY BODIES
Awards for All – Tel: 0845 600 2040
Website: www.awardsforall.org.uk
The Local Heritage Initiative, John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3RA Tel: 01242 521381

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