A New ARCH Project - Can You Help?

08 September 2020

A New ARCH project – Can you Help?

For the last 11 years ARCH has been pioneering innovative community heritage projects in Highland communities. Our special feature has been getting local people involved so it is you who make decisions and implement the programme of activities. Leading such projects requires very different skills from simply standing up and lecturing.

With this in mind two years ago the ARCH board devised an exciting project to train facilitators with the skills needed to devise and lead community heritage projects. We are calling it FACET (Facilitated Community Engagement Training). Five trainee facilitators will learn by doing, participating on courses in two communities which feature the ARCH Community Timeline modules of oral history, research and creating displays. We have already had positive feedback from several interested communities who want to have the courses.

Historic Environment Scotland thought the project innovative, and supported it with a grant of £18,000 out of the projected £24,600 budget. We had hoped to raise £6,000 from the National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF) but our application was thrown out in March, along with all others in the pipeline, so all their money could be directed to their existing projects or institutions with Covid-related shortfalls in revenue.

It is not clear when NHLF or other funders will start to accept applications again for community heritage projects. We are very keen to progress this project and have been given permission by HES to delay our start until spring 2021 while we search for match funding.

We are therefore launching the ARCH FACET Appeal to see if we can raise the remainder, with a combination of funding applications, your help and our reserves. Any donation is appreciated, and will be ring-fenced to apply to the FACET project.

How to contribute:

BACS payments can be sent to:

Sort Code: 80 05 61
Account Number: 06001571
Name of Account: Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands
Please mark reference FACET

Or, if you prefer, send us a cheque (made out to ‘Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands ARCH’) to: ARCH, The Goods Shed, The Old Station, Strathpeffer, IV14 9DH. Please include your name and address so we can acknowledge your contribution

If you qualify for Gift Aid, please let us know! This allows us to increase your donation by 25% at no cost to you. We will send you a gift aid form.

THANK YOU!