GUIDANCE FOR APPLICATION/NOMINATION TO THE 

HERITAGE ANGEL AWARDS NORTHERN IRELAND 2024 

Eligibility:

To be eligible to apply or be nominated for a Heritage Angel Award NI you must be a group or individual who has done one or more of the following: 

• Maintained a historic building for a period of 5 years or more
• Rescued a historic building, site, place or landscape within the last 10 years
• Contributed to a heritage project as a young person, and be under the age of 25
• Used craft skills or trained/be training as an apprentice on a heritage rescue or repair project 
• Researched, documented, catalogued, recorded or interpreted a heritage project, collection or set of records or data.
• Project must have taken place in Northern Ireland, or be related to a building or place in Northern Ireland.

Please refer to individual categories below to find out more.

Categories:

Best Maintenance of a Historic Building or Place

This award recognises volunteers, professionals, individuals and groups who have maintained a historic building, place, landscape or site. This awards does not recognise dramatic restoration projects, rather the hard work, day-to-day commitment to prevent buildings or places falling into disrepair.

The type of building or place does not matter as long as it is historic – that is, over 30 years old. Ideally we ask that the building or place appears on a recognised heritage register. The building or place does not have to be listed or scheduled; it could be part of a conservation area or a local building of significant interest. This award will also recognise archaeological sites, projects involving parks and gardens. It may recognise buildings removed from the Heritage at Risk register, though prior inclusion on the register is not essential. All sizes and types of rescue project are eligible, as long as the maintenance has been ongoing for at least 5 years.

Best Rescue of a Historic Building or Place (for projects under £1m)

This award recognises volunteers, professionals, individuals and groups who have rescued a historic building, place, landscape or site.

The type of building or place does not matter as long as it is historic – that is, over 30 years old, located in Northern Ireland. Ideally we ask that the building or place appears on a recognised heritage register. The building or place does not have to be listed or scheduled; it could be part of a conservation area or a local building of significant interest. This award will also recognise archaeological sites, projects involving parks and gardens. 

This award may recognise buildings removed from the Heritage at Risk register, though prior inclusion on the register is not essential. All sizes and types of rescue project are eligible, as long as the total value does not exceed £1 million, and the project has been completed within the last 10 years.

Best Major Regeneration of a Historic Building or Place (for projects over £1m)

This award will recognise projects that have seen large scale investment, put into saving, rescuing or regenerating a building or place. This is to award best practice and could be awarded to a team that has given a new lease of life to a building by innovative or sympathetic reuse.  

The type of building or place does not matter as long as it is historic – that is, over 30 years old, located in Northern Ireland. Ideally we ask that the building or place appears on a recognised heritage register. The building or place does not have to be listed or scheduled; it could be part of a conservation area or a local building of significant interest. This award will also recognise archaeological sites, projects involving parks and gardens. This award may recognise buildings removed from the Heritage at Risk register, though prior inclusion on the register is not essential. 

This may be awarded to an individual who has led on a project within a large organisation or the organisation as a whole. Applications are open to private firms, local authorities, building practices, planners, developers and architects. All sizes and types of rescue projects are eligible, as long as the total value is in excess of £1 million, and the project has been completed within the last 10 years.

Best Contribution to a Heritage Project by Young People 

This award will recognise the contribution to heritage projects by young people up to the age of 25.  The award can be for individuals or groups. Groups may include projects led by school or volunteer groups, social clubs or historical societies. Individuals, including young volunteers, university students and young apprentices are also eligible to apply. The ‘contribution’ should be towards a heritage project or place. 

The type of building or place does not matter as long as it is historic – that is, over 30 years old, located in Northern Ireland. Ideally we ask that the building or place appears on a recognised heritage register. The building or place does not have to be listed or scheduled; it could be part of a conservation area or a local building of significant interest. This award will also recognise archaeological sites, projects involving parks and gardens. 

Adults may enter an application on behalf of under 16s. The project must have been completed within the last 5 years.

Best Craftsmanship or Apprentice on a Heritage Rescue or Repair Project

This award will recognise volunteers or professionals, including individuals and groups, who have demonstrated the application of craft skills that have been key in repairing or rescuing a historic site. For example, it could be someone who has carved stone gargoyles for a church, repaired a historic window, or learned how to recreate bricks for a particular rescue.  

The type of building or place does not matter as long as it is historic – that is, over 30 years old, located in Northern Ireland. Ideally we ask that the building or place appears on a recognised heritage register. The building or place does not have to be listed or scheduled; it could be part of a conservation area or a local building of significant interest. This award will also recognise archaeological sites, projects involving parks and gardens. This award may recognise buildings removed from the Heritage at Risk register, though prior inclusion on the register is not essential.

The craft can be from any discipline, for example, woodwork, masonry, metalwork or thatching.  It is also an opportunity to award apprentices where work has made a significant contribution to a restoration. This award also looks at those individuals who have trained apprentices to carry on their work. The project must have been carried out in the last 10 years.

Best Research, Interpretation or Recording of a Historic Building or Place

This award recognises those who have helped people better understand and engage with an historic building or place.  It is open to everyone who has researched, or recorded heritage and also those who have worked to better present information relating to historic buildings or places to widen audience engagement. This may be an individual or group. 

The type of building or place does not matter as long as it is historic – that is, over 30 years old, located in Northern Ireland. Ideally we ask that the building or place appears on a recognised heritage register. The building or place does not have to be listed or scheduled; it could be part of a conservation area or a local building of significant interest. This award will also recognise archaeological sites, projects involving parks and gardens. 

It may be a project that has engaged a local community, school or group by teaching them about the buildings and spaces around them or that has created an archive or unique way of interpreting a historic building or place. For example, it could be a group of local people identifying and promoting areas of improvement in their local conservation area, an individual who has helped to restore a historic public place, or a team who have helped research archaeological site. The project must have been carried out in the last 5 years.

Completing the form:

When completing the application/nomination form please consider carefully how the applicant or nominee meets the criteria of the selected category/categories selected above. 

THE HERITAGE: Max 300 words

• Tell us about the historic building or place. Please include a brief description including date, location, historical and/or architectural importance, and importance to the local community.

THE PROJECT: Max 500 words

Please tell us:

1. How and why did the individual or group get involved in the project? 
2. What steps the person or project went through to achieve the result?
3. Were there challenges that the person or project experienced, and if so, how were these overcome? 

THE OUTCOMES: Max 500 words

• Please outline the achievements, what change has happened as a result of the work of the individual/project?

OTHER INFORMATION: Max 500 words

• Please highlight, if applicable, what ways the group/individual ensured best practice was followed, and how exemplar practices were achieved? 

• Any other information in support of this application or nomination, and how it meets the criteria of the selected category or categories. For example, you might include testimonials, statistics, and feedback. 

PHOTOGRAPHS:

You must supply a minimum of 3 and maximum of 6 photographs.

FILM:

You may submit a short film to illustrate your proposed Heritage Angel.  Films should be no longer than three minutes.

CONSENT:

You must have consent to use the photographs and permission of applicant/nominee to submit a nomination on their behalf.

Criteria:

The following award criteria will be used to assess the application/project. The top three in each category will be shortlisted. Please consider this criteria when completing the questions above.

• Need – was there a specific need for the project? 
• Passion – what made the ‘Angel’ get involved in the project? Why does the project and heritage site mean so much to those involved/ the wider community/ Northern Ireland? 
• Perseverance – what challenges had to be overcome? Did the project suffer any setbacks? If so, what made the project continue in the face of adversity? 
• Imagination – what creative solutions were considered/explored or adopted as part of the project? Was there anything unique about the way the project was delivered?
• Legacy – how has the project contributed to the future protection and/or of a heritage site/s? Have any new skills been learnt or shared? How far do the benefits of the project reach?
• Best practice – how does the project demonstrate best practice? How might the project be viewed as exemplar? 
• Other – what makes your project special? 

FAQs:

Can I apply or does a person/project need to be nominated for an award?

Either – you can apply on your own behalf, or be nominated by someone else. If you are nominating a group or individual you must have gained their permission to submit information about them and their project, in advance.

I have applied/nominated previously but was not shortlisted. Can I reapply/re-nominate?

Yes. Re-applications/re-nominations are encouraged. The volume of entries dictates that not all achievements for the good of heritage can be recognised in any one year. In fact re-submissions have proven to go on to be shortlisted and even win an Angel Award! 

What do you mean by ‘heritage’? 

Heritage is a building, site or area that is of special architectural, historical or cultural significance. This could be a building or group of buildings (including those in use for worship), park or garden, archaeological site, battlefield, wreck site, conservation area or other kind of area or place. 

What do you mean by ‘rescue’? 

There are different ways in which a site can be rescued and these are largely dependent on the type of site. For example, rescuing a listed building is very different to rescuing a registered battlefield. There is no one right answer or solution that fits every building or place. That’s what makes our heritage so special. 

Every building, place and project will be different. Tell us about your rescue – what you have done to ensure that the site is being saved for future generations to understand, enjoy and care for.

Do heritage sites have to be on the Listed Buildings Register NI or Buildings at Risk Register?

No, a building does not need to be on either of the above lists or in a designated conservation area, however we would like to know if it is.

How do I check if a site is listed and/or on the Heritage At Risk Register?

The Listed Buildings Database is available on the Department for Communities website at https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/services/buildings-database

The Built Heritage at Risk NI (BHARNI) Register, is available on the UAH website at https://www.ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk/built-heritage-risk/ . The BHARNI Register is maintained by UAH in Partnership with the Department for Communities.

If you are unsure whether a site is listed, is or has been ‘at risk’ please do not hesitate to contact UAH for assistance.

Are only completed projects eligible? 

Yes only completed projects are eligible. 

By what date must a rescue or regeneration project be completed by?

The project must be completed by date of submission of application/nomination.

My rescue or regeneration project was completed a number of years ago. Can I still apply?

Depending on the category, projects must have been completed in either the last 5 or 10 years. The timeframe depends on each individual category. Please refer to individual category guidance.

Can the same project apply for more than 1 category?

Yes, simply select all the categories you would like to be considered for. You do not have to fill in a separate application for each.

What ages are covered in the ‘young people’ category? 

Anyone up to the age of 25 (age at the time the application is submitted) is eligible.

What are the terms and conditions? 

To be eligible, all applicants and those nominated for an award are asked to sign up to the terms and conditions of the awards.