HERITAGE GEMS SHINE BRIGHTER IN CLUSTERS
Culture Northwest is enabling the region’s heritage gems to take their rightful place in the Visitor Economy. The drive to develop heritage clusters has delivered the tangible benefits outlined below.
The secret to the success of these local and sub-regional clusters has been to make them truly bespoke: to reflect the uniqueness of the specific locations, whilst still being flexible enough to accommodate the needs of the individuals - and individual businesses - involved.
Andrew Backhouse, Culture Northwest's Heritage Tourism Executive - an innovative post funded by English Heritage and the NWDA - is in a unique position to act as a catalyst for, and support to these clusters. The approach is to think globally - with focus on key priorities and major initiatives - and act locally, carefully monitoring key deliverables
Three examples of delivery are:
Developing Lancaster’s Heritage Offer
Culture Northwest’s work in Lancaster is in direct response to the fear that its thousands of years of history – including the imposing Medieval castle, classic Georgian architecture and grand Victorian Cathedral – could be lost in the city’s regeneration plans. The key has been to establish heritage as a driver for regeneration to improve the city’s tourism offer. Through working in partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Museums Service, and the Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board, Culture Northwest has acted as a major advocate for heritage at policy making level, to ensure its legacy is safe.
David Owen, Head of Cultural Services at Lancaster City Council, says “The benefits of bringing key strategic stakeholders together are clear as the agencies work to a common objective of placing Lancaster firmly on the local, regional, national and international tourism stage". Examples of ideas currently being investigated include:
- a common ‘brand’ for Lancaster’s heritage
- a Lancaster Culture and Heritage Pass
- Coach parking for visitors
- Heritage open days
- Improved signage and the streetscape
- more costumed guides.
This partnership is effective in influencing the council’s policy decisions has resulted in the establishment of a sub-group, the Lancashire Heritage Promotions, which works directly with individual attractions and ensures that these positive and practical changes are put into practice.
Lancashire Heritage Tourism Attractions
Samlesbury Hall, Lancashire
Following consultation with Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board and The Tourism Centre at Lancaster University, Andrew initially invited every known Lancashire heritage attraction to join this new cluster. Now meeting regularly, they share information and develop skills - through inspiring talks, sharing good practice and visiting specific success stories. Key to this is Andrew's adoption of the coaching style. Topics of discussion to date include how to benefit from available grants, how to utilise Blackpool Airport and how to build attractive educational packages. Members come from diverse range of attractions, including historic houses, museums, mills, steam railways and the iconic Blackpool Tower.
Sharon Jones, Director of Salmesbury Hall, says, “The Hall as a visitor attraction has improved dramatically since we joined the cluster, and Andrew has been a massive support - long may he continue to be involved. The particular benefits have been:
- gaining valuable experience of how others work
- help with looking for funding, “I now have my third project on the way and look forward to many more”
- explanations of processes in layman’s terms
Cumbrian Historic Houses and Gardens
Holker Hall, Cumbria
Although previously in existence, Andrew’s involvement has been to give this cluster a ‘strategic poke’ and to strongly encourage them to utilise the data and intelligence available - through resources such as the Northwest Culture Observatory Online - to inform decisions. Essentially a joint marketing enterprise, the cluster has produced and distributed joint promotional material, formed a mutually beneficial partnership with local transport company Mountain Goat and ensured a presence at all trade shows – including the ‘RHS Flower Show’ and ‘Great Days Out’ at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium. The key factor in the success of this cluster has been to respect and reflect the commercial interests of all the members.
Sandy Kitching, Marketing Manager at Holker Hall & Gardens, says, “Working in partnership with the eight independent Lake District Historic Houses has enabled us to share ideas and codes of good practice, as well as networking to maximise the marketing of each property and their gardens. We have pooled our financial resources and, with assistance from Cumbria Tourism, have shared the costs
of joint promotions, that as individuals we would never have had the resources to afford to do. Andrew Backhouse … regularly attends our meetings and his enthusiastic and impartial input has been greatly welcomed. He brings with him a fresh pair of eyes and often offers ideas and new ways of looking at how each of the historic houses approach the different projects we propose.”
For more information on heritage clusters, please contact Andrew Backhouse on 0161 817 7428 or at: Andrew.backhouse@nwda.co.uk
------------------------------------------------------------Ends------------------------------------------------------------------- For further media information please contact Tim Powell, Culture Northwest on 0161-817 7422 or timothy.powell@nwda.co.uk or visit www.culturenorthwest.co.uk Notes for Editors: Culture Northwest is a thinking, networking and advocacy organisation. Culture Northwest is the Cultural Consortium for England's Northwest, established in 1999 by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and its role is to drive the Regional Cultural Strategy. Culture Northwest's core funding is predominantly provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Northwest Regional Development Agency. |
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