Funding success for Forres Conservation and Heritage Scheme

The Forres Conservation and Heritage Scheme will benefit from £790,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Grants for Heritage scheme, alongside £980,000 from Historic Environment Scotland’s Heritage & Place Scheme.

This is in addition to previous funding, secured from the Place Based Investment Programme, Town Centre Capital Fund, Coastal Community Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supporting overall investment of £3.3 million.

The funding means key projects and activities can now go ahead, including:

• Grants for property owners to repair and conserve traditional buildings and shopfronts;
• Traditional building skills training, including grants for businesses and learning activities for local property owners;
• Improvements to public spaces, along with closes and lanes;
• Supporting the creation of a Heritage Quarter with partners;
• Improving the conservation area by adding more greenery, including community garden projects, and making upgrades to Cluny Hill;
• Creating innovative ways to share and explain the history of Forres with locals and visitors, such as an audio trail, digital photograph archive and online exhibition;
• Exploring opportunities to bring vacant buildings back into use;
• Increasing opportunities for social interaction and enhanced wellbeing;

The Forres Conservation and Heritage Scheme is the first of eight local improvement projects across Scotland to be approved funding. It was developed over the past 12-months, with many of the projects involved being recommended by the local community.

Council Leader and Forres Ward member, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said: “As a member of the partnership management group I’ve seen first-hand the appetite for recognition of Forres as an outstanding area of conservation.

“We have some great stories to tell about our heritage and I look forward to seeing the project going from strength-to-strength. The funding will give the town a great boost.”

Chair of the Forres Conservation and Heritage Scheme Partnership Management Group, George Alexander, added: “There’s something for everyone, with increased opportunities for collaboration and connection; both for those who have and have not been involved with heritage before. After all the work in preparing the plans, we are excited to get started on delivering them, with the same energy and enthusiasm that the Forres community is renowned for.”

Susan O'Connor, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland, said: "The Forres Conservation and Heritage Scheme is a fantastic effort to revitalise and conserve the town’s rich historic environment, and we are pleased to support the scheme as one of the eight local improvement schemes awarded funding through our Heritage and Place Programme.

“By working with traditional skills, re-imagining public spaces and creating new ways for heritage to support social and physical wellbeing, this scheme places community and heritage at the heart of Forres. We are excited to see how the project develops, and the new ways in which Forres tells the story of its past, present and future.”

Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Scotland, said: “Heritage sits at the heart of a place’s identity, adding depth, character and value. It helps connect people and communities to a place and boosts local economic prosperity. Thanks to National Lottery players we are supporting heritage driven regeneration for Forres.

“Our aim is to help to drive heritage and community focused regeneration, helping local people to deliver long-term, sustainable improvements.”