Friends shortlisted for Angel awards

The Bo’ness-based Friends of Kinneil charity – celebrating its 10th anniversary this year – has been shortlisted for a national award.

The group, which promotes and helps develop historic Kinneil Estate and its neighbouring Nature Reserve, is down to the final three entries in the “Sharing and Celebrating” category of the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards.

The Friends are competing against entries from the Dig It! TV Team, for their volunteer-led YouTube channel, and the Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust, for bringing Victorian halls back into use.

The competition, funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, will announce the 2016 winners at a ceremony next month.

Maria Ford (pictured right), chair of The Friends of Kinneil, said: “The Friends of Kinneil are honoured and excited to have been shortlisted for the prestigious Scottish Heritage Angel Awards 2016. This year the charity has been celebrating its tenth anniversary with special events, including a James Watt birthday reception in the Scottish Parliament and the biggest ever Big Roman Week festival which includes our very first Antonine Wall Community Conference.

“This nomination is a mark of recognition to the many volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the last decade to help promote and develop Kinneil House, Museum, Estate, Nature Reserve and the unique combination of outstanding heritage assets we have.”

Twelve entries have been shortlisted in the competition.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “It is wonderful to shine a light on the endeavours of these Scottish Heritage Angels, whose triumphs of dedication, energy and tenacity might otherwise go unsung. Every one of them is vital to preserving and promoting the richness of Scotland’s heritage. I congratulate them all on their fine achievements.”

Author and broadcaster, Vanessa Collingridge; photographer and Chair of the Scottish Civic Trust, Colin McLean; and Georgia Vullinghs, of the Scotland’s Urban Past Youth Forum, will join returning judges Professor John Hume OBE and Andrew Wright OBE, one of Scotland’s foremost conservation architects, to decide on this year’s overall winners across the five categories.

The awards are delivered by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation in association with Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Civic Trust, Archaeology Scotland and the Scottish Government.

John Pelan, Director of the Scottish Civic Trust, said: “This year’s shortlist for the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards once again demonstrates the great scope of volunteer-led heritage work that is being undertaken throughout the country. It’s fantastic to see the enthusiasm and passion that Scotland’s heritage ‘Angels’ contribute to the sector, particularly in the Young Heritage Angel Award, which is a new addition for this year.

“These awards provide us with a real opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate all those behind a wealth of projects and activities, both big and small, and their valuable work, which directly contributes to and benefits Scotland’s wider historic environment.

“Each of the applicants along with this year’s shortlist are to be commended on their impressive achievements to date.”

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said: “The Scottish Heritage Angel Awards highlight and recognise the outstanding work and diversity of volunteers and community groups across Scotland who work tirelessly, throughout the year, to investigate, protect and share knowledge about Scotland’s rich and diverse heritage.

“The awards also provide an ideal opportunity for us to celebrate Scotland’s wider historic environment and the strength of the connection that so many of our communities feel for the past.  I congratulate all of the ‘Heritage Angels’ shortlisted for these awards and wish them continued success in their communities.”

Shortlisted ‘Angels’ have been invited to attend the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards ceremony, hosted by Vanessa Collingridge, to be held at the centuries-old Assembly Rooms, on Edinburgh’s George Street, on Tuesday 18th October, where the overall winner of each category will be announced. To view the full details of the official shortlist for this year’s Scottish Heritage Angel Awards please visit www.scottishheritageangelawards.org.uk

 

 

Full shortlist for the 2016 Scottish Heritage Angel Awards

Investigating and Recording:

• Baberton Mains History Group for their social history and heritage project exploring the 1970s Wimpey Baberton Mains housing estate development, Edinburgh
• Castlemilk Park’s Local History Group for the How Old are Yew? Project, looking into the history of the now demolished Castlemilk House and its grounds, Glasgow
• Mark Cranston for his work focussing on a unique part of Scotland’s industrial heritage in recording Scottish brick makers and brick markings, Scottish Borders

Caring and Protecting:

• Jess Smith for her work to ensure the safeguarding of Tinker’s Heart and celebrating Scotland’s traveller community and their culture, Perthshire – with the project being undertaken in Argyll and Bute
• Volunteers at Scotland’s Jute Museum @ Verdant Works for their efforts towards the £2.9million High Mill Open Gallery Project which brought a derelict building back into community use as well as the conservation and display of previously unseen objects from the museum’s collection, Dundee
• Neil Kermode and the Orkney Heritage Society Kitchener Memorial Working Group for the centenary year restoration of The Kitchener Memorial to better remember all those who lost their lives on HMS Hampshire on 5th June 1916, Orkney

Sharing and Celebrating:

• The Dig It! TV Team for their volunteer-led YouTube channel which aims to engage people with Scotland’s history in a new and exciting way and encourage them to discover their own local history and heritage for themselves, Edinburgh and throughout the country
• Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust for the restoration and bringing back in to community use the Victorian-built Burgh Halls as well as the safeguarding of an important collection of objects, Glasgow
• The Friends of Kinneil for their on-going dedication in promoting the rich history and heritage of Kinneil House, its Museum, Estate and Nature Reserve, Bo’ness

Young Heritage Angel Award:

• The DigTV Young Volunteer Group for their work with the Whithorn Trust to engage people with archaeology and history through film and digital media, Dumfries and Galloway
• Dunfermline Young Archaeologists’ Club for the recording of graves and monuments as part of the Dunfermline Abbey Graveyard Project led by Dunfermline Heritage Community Projects, Fife
• Junior Park Rangers for their work in Holyrood Park contributing towards looking after the royal Park’s heritage and raising awareness of a safer countryside for all, Edinburgh

Lifetime Contribution to the Historic Environment:

The overall winner of this category will be announced at the awards ceremony in October.

The full press release is on the Historic Environment Scotland website