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After successfully being awarded £177,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Knowsley Council has now begun the Conservation Skills and Interpretation Project, ‘Look to the Future: Celebrate the Past’.

This important project will offer an exciting programme of activities over two years that we hope will appeal to all ages. The various elements on offer are broad ranging and will include the following:

• Free heritage walks, led by professional guides, around the conservation areas in
  Knowsley, Kirkby, Prescot, Huyton, Cronton, Halewood
•  A competition for residents to nominate local buildings or people to be celebrated by our very own Knowsley Commemorative Plaques.
•  An opportunity for you to help design outdoor panels with information for local people and visitors to explore our diverse heritage.
• We will be working with children and young people from local schools to involve them in finding out more about the history of Knowsley and offer them the chance to ‘Have a Go’ and learn about a variety of traditional building skills including brick making and wattle and daub.
• Construction students from Knowsley Community College will get the chance to learn about traditional skills needed to conserve historic buildings. There is a shortage of these skills nationally and it’s vital that we train the next generation in order to preserve our important built heritage.

We are leading the way in the North West in highlighting the shortage of traditional building skills and supporting the future recruitment of skilled craftspeople.

The Conservation Skills project has been identified as a model of good practice by the Heritage Lottery Fund and other local authorities and organisations are being referred to us for partnership working and to share our knowledge and experience. This is an opportunity for the council to give our young people an advantage in the competitive world of work.

For more information about the project and our marquee at the Knowsley Flower Show, contact Jane Wells on 443 2283 or email jane.wells@knowsley.gov.uk