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Sharing knowledge and skills
As a best practice organisation, we recognise the importance of sharing skills and knowledge. Secondments can be a unique way of doing this, by bringing an expert into the organisation or sharing the expertise of English Partnerships with others. They also help us to establish new relationships with organisations that are working to achieve similar aims and help align English Partnerships with different specialist areas.
This year, one of our most passionate secondees has been Jill Channer, Heritage Advisor, who has joined us for two years from the Prince’s Regeneration Trust – an organisation that specialises in the rescue, repair and regeneration of large historic buildings. Since April 2007, Jill has been working as part of our National Consultancy Unit, helping support both policy development and practical applications on site. Using her extensive knowledge on building preservation and protection, she has helped our teams deliver heritage-led regeneration.
We have enhanced our offer to development partners of ‘combination packages’, that is sites with both existing historic assets and opportunities for new development. Our portfolio of 96 hospital sites, for example, includes many historic buildings that can catalyse transformation into new contexts and uses.
The approach has been pioneered at Hanham Hall, near Bristol; our first Carbon Challenge site. Jill was integral to the stakeholder group and optimised the potential of this complex multiperiod Grade II* listed building, within an innovative strategy to design England’s first zero carbon community.
As a result we have established collaboration with heritage organisations such as English Heritage, the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, the Government Historic Estates Unit and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. From our close ties with English Heritage, the success of our Hospital Sites Programme was referenced in the Biennial Conservation Report.
Additionally, we have published new best practice in our Quality Standards on the re-use of resources, including historic assets, and had the opportunity to contribute to emerging legislation on heritage protection.
We will encounter many new challenges as we move forward into the Homes and Communities Agency but the skills and knowledge we have gained through working with Jill on heritage issues will be fundamental as we endeavour to preserve the past for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations.
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