ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITY
NETWORK SUPPORT
We continued to develop the BEFS website as a tool
for communicating information to our members,
associates and other stakeholders. The BEFS website
at www.befs.org.uk contains information, links and
resources as well as dedicated sections on Small
Towns and the Historic Environment Strategy. We also
used our Twitter account to share useful information
and updates – as of July 2014 our following had
increased to 953.
Our annual congress in November provided a
unique networking opportunity for members and
associates. The one-day event tackled the theme
of Mainstreaming the Historic Environment and
took place in Linlithgow Burgh Halls. Around 100
delegates listened to presentations by a range of
speakers from organisations such as Environment
Link, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Historic Buildings Trust
and Architecture and Design Scotland. National and
local government perspectives were provided by the
Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs and
COSLA’s Spokesperson for Development, Economy
and Sustainability. The day ended with a talk about
Belgium’s Monumentenwacht Vlaanderen scheme
(Monument Watch) by their Director and a doctoral
researcher from the Raymond Lemaire International
Centre for Conservation in Leuven. The conference
presentations and a series of post-event blogs were
published on the BEFS website.
BEFS recognises that members and associate
organisations see fundraising as an ongoing and high
priority. As a result we agreed to become a project
partner in a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery
Fund led by Arts and Business Scotland to help build
fundraising capacity for the heritage sector. Through
a resource-led website and structured training
programme Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage provides
ideas, inspiration and practical advice to help heritage
groups and organisations to maximise results from
their fundraising.