Inclusion and Diversity
People care passionately about their own heritage and their neighbourhood landmarks, streets, parks and houses. English Heritage values and protects all the different strands of the heritage that make up this country's historic environment and promotes our shared heritage to the widest possible audience. The historic environment is a resource from which everyone can benefit and is a fundamental tool for regeneration, sustaining community pride, supporting small businesses, creating a sense of belonging and educating the next generation. It is English Heritage policy to:
- Provide and encourage opportunities for all to access, understand and enjoy the historic environment.
- Value and share an inclusive interpretation of England's heritage.
- Use the historic environment to contribute to positive change in the lives of individuals and communities.
- Adopt good practice in providing access to the historic environment and actively engage with partners to encourage others to do likewise.
- Ensure all our activities as an organisation take into account the widest possible range of needs.
The "England's heritage - your heritage" information leaflet explains in more detail how English Heritage is committed to diversity and social inclusion.
England's heritage - your heritage, PDF Version
England's heritage - your heritage, large print version (PDF)
England's heritage - your heritage, word version (.doc)
For more information, please contact: English Heritage Customer Services on 0870 333 1181
English Heritage seeks to understand the diversity of this country's heritage and promote a more inclusive past English Heritage values the heritage of the different cultures that have been woven into our shared history over hundreds of years. The contribution these stories have made to England's heritage are celebrated by exploring personal experience and community identity and sharing that with others.To view policies relating to inclusion and diversity, please select options from the left-hand menu. Below are some examples of English Heritage in action described in more detail in the leaflet "England's heritage- your heritage"
1. My Heritage invites you to contact us and tell us which places, buildings, local sites or landmarks mean the most to you in terms of your cultural heritage and why. These need not be well known, just important to you. A sample of your responses will be shared on the English Heritage web site. Please email us at: myheritage@english-heritage.org.uk.
2. Memory Block was a community art project looking at what history means to people in Liverpool. 100 people in10 community groups, including the Yemeni-Arabic Club, the Chinese Elderly Luncheon Club, Somali Women's Group and the Marybone Youth Centre, explored ideas about memory, place and identity in a series art workshops. Each filled a clear perspex box with photographs, objects, sound or sculpture to represent their memories. This artwork formed two major city centre exhibition in Liverpool. The boxes have now been returned to the groups, who were assisted in putting on exhibition in their own community centres.
3. English Heritage has pledged £135,000 and worked with the Maharajah Duleep Singh Centenary Trust to develop a national Anglo-Sikh Heritage Trail. The project highlights 150 years of Anglo-Sikh history at key sites around the UK. From spring 2004 it will bring that heritage to a wider audience and new generations through its website.
4. The Blue Plaques Scheme aims to commemorate the link between exceptional people from all walks of life and the buildings they inhabited. The expansion of the scheme is engaging new audiences with their heritage. Plaques currently exist in London, Liverpool & Merseyside and Birmingham but funding for the scheme has increased, allowing for greater expansion across the country from 2004. Recent plaques include Charles Coward, rescuer of prisoners from Auschwitz, Ted Kid Lewis, boxer, Paul Robeson, singer and actor, and Ruth First and Joe Slovo, South African freedom fighters.
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