Partners
Civic Voice
The Trust is a member of Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement in England. Civic Voice provides a national voice for us on the issues that affect us locally. It lobbies in Whitehall and Westminster, campaigns with local volunteers, speaks out in the media, undertakes research, builds partnerships and promotes civic pride. It supports local groups and helps them work together.
Building Better, Building Beautiful
Last year the Trust supported Civic Voice’s work to influence the report of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. The Commission’s role is to advise government on how to promote and increase the use of high-quality design for new-build homes and neighbourhoods, a subject which is a major priority for the Trust. To find out more about the Commission and download its reports, click here.
Civic Voice’s ‘ABC’ Manifesto
In November 2019 Civic Voice launched its manifesto for the General Election, calling for all political parties to make a firm commitment in their manifestos “to give communities a meaningful voice at every stage of the planning system” and in doing so, “create an Accessible, Balanced and Collaborative (ABC) Planning System, which ensures we move from talking to the ‘already engaged’ to having ‘everyone engaged’.”
Speaking at the launch of the manifesto, Joan Humble, Chair of Civic Voice said: “Recent research undertaken by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland found that the public has a significant distrust of the planning process. Just 2% of the public trust developers and only 7% trust local authorities when it comes to planning for large-scale development. We can either ignore this research and carry on as we are and continue to face the same challenges in building the homes the nation needs, or we can accept that the system is not working for local people and do something about it.”
For more information on Civic Voice’s manifesto, click here.
Civic Voice Design Awards
Every year Civic Voice holds the Civic Voice Design Awards. In 2017 the Trust nominated the Winton Chapel at the University of Winchester and we were very pleased when this wonderful and sympathetic renovation was chosen as the overall winner.
In 2018 the Trust nominated the Conversion of the Warden's Stables to the Treasury at Winchester College. The Stables is part of the Grade 1 listed outer court and was constructed soon after the College was founded in 1382. We are delighted that it was shortlisted for an award.
heritage open days
Winchester Heritage Open Days is now one of the biggest Heritage Open Days hubs in the country, accounting for over two per cent of the national programme. It is organised by volunteers Nicky Gottlieb and Becky Brown, both of whom are members of the Trust. Nicky and Becky are supported by a committee of our Trustees, who oversee grant applications and sponsorship.
John Pilkington, one of Britain's most experienced explorers and public speakers, said of last year’s festival:
“Many many many congratulations on the biggest and best HODs ever! I didn't think you'd possibly be able to improve on last year's, but you surpassed it spectacularly! Everyone I've talked to said how much they enjoyed it.”
Every year Nicky and Becky and Trust staff and volunteers work with local groups and organisations to put together a diverse local programme of events ranging from music, theatre, workshops and living history to exhibitions, open buildings, guided tours, walks and talks. In 2019 there were 145 free events over ten days in more than 70 venues in and around Winchester, with over 22,000 festival attendances. The Trust converts its office into a small exhibition space to display local art, photographs and material from our archives over the period of the festival.
Click here for more information about Winchester Heritage Open Days.
winacc
Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) was originally launched in 2007, and works to lower the carbon footprint of the Winchester District by inspiring sustainable living. It works together with local residents, businesses, organisations, scientists, educators, engineers and policy and decision makers to create a healthier and more fulfilling future for everyone. WinACC’s Vision is a carbon neutral Winchester District which is a beacon for sustainable, low carbon living. The Trust works with WinACC primarily on transport issues, sponsoring workshops and other initiatives.
Click here for more information about WinACC.
The Trust also works with the Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), the Hampshire Gardens Trust and other organisations whose priorities overlap with ours.