Exciting New Scheme Offers Young People the Opportunity to Try Out Building Conservation Crafts

We are pleased to be joining forces with The Sussex Heritage Trust and the Sustainable Communities Fund – South Downs Trust to bring an exciting initiative to young people who are interested in building a career in the construction industry!

This innovative new scheme will encourage the next generation of builders to explore careers in building conservation. 40 young people from colleges across West Sussex and Brighton & Hove will be offered a unique ‘Taster Day’ opportunity to try out four building conservation crafts at the Museum on June 4th.

Keeping skills alive and thriving

The timing of this initiative couldn’t be more important! In 2023, Heritage Crafts published the fourth edition of its game-changing Red List of Endangered Crafts. This report looks at the UK’s traditional crafts and ranks them based on how likely they are to survive for the next generation. After assessing over 250 crafts, the report found that more than 40 building conservation crafts are at risk of disappearing. These include essential skills like brickmaking and traditional stained-glass window-making.

To combat this, the initiative is offering young people hands-on experience in these endangered crafts. The goal? To make sure these vital skills are kept alive and thriving for years to come.

The Taster Day Experience

The Taster Day at the Weald & Downland Museum will provide participants with a ‘taste’ of four different heritage crafts which are fundamental for the future protection of Sussex’s historic buildings and landscape:

· Practical Timber Repairs

· Brickmaking

· Hurdle Making

· Wattle & Daub

Helen Reeve, CEO of the Sussex Heritage Trust, emphasised the importance of this initiative: “Sussex Heritage Trust wants to show young builders that there are careers and opportunities in the building conservation sectors. A critical part of this project is working with the industry to develop a professional pathway through apprenticeships and work placements, as well as our own bursary scheme, to support these young people into work.”