Without buy-in from the local community, High Street and Town Centre regeneration is doomed to fail. Join our speakers to find out how they engage communities and what they’ve been doing to attract people and investment to their town centres.

This day conference at Unity Hall in Wakefield, a building that was saved and restored, will include talks and case studies, lunch and a tour of the Art House and the local heritage action zone.

Programme (timings may change):

0930-1000 Arrival and refreshments

1000 Welcome from David Tittle, Chief Executive of Heritage Trust Network and Julie Russell, Service Director: Arts, Culture and Leisure, Wakefield Council

Art House and Well Placed project (Makey Wakey and beyond) – CEO Sydney Thornbury and Project Coordinator Lucy Norton

Activating Pontefract town centre – Paul Cartwright, Chair of Pontefract Civic Society

The Impact of Heritage Action Zone investment on local voluntary sector organisations – independent researcher Magnus Copps

Community and crowdfunding – Co-founder Chris Hill, Dewsbury Arcade – Chris Hill

1300-1400 Lunch

1400-1430 Town centre regeneration: A young person’s perspective, Yousuf Zubair, Heritage Action Zone Project Assistant, Historic England

1430 Tour of the Art House and Heritage Action Zone

Free/Discounted tickets

Connect, Network, Partner and Supporter members can book for £30. You should have received an email with a code to access the £30 tickets. Click the red ‘Get tickets’ button and enter your code in the box that says ‘Promo Code’. The £30 ticket options will be revealed.

If you did not receive the the code, or are a non-member that would like to join please email admin@heritagetrustnetwork.org.uk.