For Immediate Release

Heritage Angel Awards Northern Ireland 2024 is Open for Applications and Nominations. 

Closing Date 1 February.

The Heritage Angel Awards Northern Ireland 2024 were launched this week in the historic setting of Gracehill, County Antrim.  The awards, funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and the Department for Communities, are led by Ulster Architectural Heritage. They celebrate the efforts of people who go to extraordinary lengths to protect, maintain, save, regenerate heritage and to share it with others.

Robert Stewart, a previous winner of the award for the Best Contribution to a Heritage Project by a Young Person, joined proceedings to reflect on his success.  He spoke to host Wendy Austin about his passion for heritage which has come about through his experience volunteering at Lissan House, near Cookstown, and how the Heritage Angel Awards have encouraged him in his career. The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Gerardine Mulvenna, addressed the guests and officially launched the 2024 awards in the borough.  The council will host the Heritage Angel Awards ceremony at The Braid, Ballymena, in March 2024.

Ulster Architectural Heritage is now calling for nominations for awards, which can be completed on the Heritage Angel Awards NI webpage. You will find plenty of inspiration from previous winners and you can also register for a workshop and Q&A session on 16^th January. The deadline for entries is 1 February.  Those shortlisted will be invited to celebrate their success at the awards ceremony on 27th March 2024. 

David Johnston, Chair of Ulster Architectural Heritage said:

‘Ulster Architectural Heritage is delighted to launch the fifth Heritage Angel Awards Northern Ireland in 2024.  The awards give much deserved recognition to our often unsung heritage heroes, and we hope by celebrating their achievements, many more people will become involved in projects and promote the value of built heritage in Northern Ireland.

The awards are now open for entries and we want to hear from all passionate groups and individuals who have recently completed heritage projects across Northern Ireland, or would like to commend another project or individual they know of. The application process is very straightforward, free of charge and is completed on the Heritage Angel Awards NI webpage, where you also will find plenty of inspiration from previous winners.  

The awards would not be possible without the generous support of Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose foundation is supporting the Heritage Angel Awards for the fifth year in Northern Ireland, helping to shine a spotlight on those who have made a significant contribution towards protecting our heritage. We are grateful to the Department for Communities who have provide essential funding for the awards. We are looking forward to the awards ceremony in Ballymena in March, which is being kindly hosted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’.

Manus Deery, Assistant Director of Department for Communities: Historic Environment Division said: ‘Department for Communities is happy to be supporting this event, through its Historic Environment Fund for a further year. The awards have a track record of championing and supporting community empowerment, of showcasing innovation and heritage skills and of highlighting the previously unsung efforts of custodians. Heritage can help reinforce our pride of place, contribute to our wellbeing, support tourism and allow skilled jobs to be sustained. This requires much commitment. We all owe a great debt to the efforts of those in our community who have worked to sustain this legacy. It is important that we take the time to highlight some of the best work and to say a wider thank you.’

About the Heritage Angel Awards 2024

The prestigious Heritage Angel Awards NI celebrate the unsung heroes of local heritage and craftsmanship who go to extraordinary lengths to maintain, rescue, restore, regenerate, research and interpret built heritage.  The awards are run by Ulster Architectural Heritage and kindly supported by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and the Department for Communities: Historic Environment Division. 

The six categories are:

·       Best Maintenance of a Historic Building or Place

• Best Rescue of an Historic Building or Place – Under £1m   
• Best Major Regeneration of an Historic Building or Place – Over £1m
• Best Contribution to a Heritage Project by Young People
• Best Craftsmanship or Apprenticeship on a Heritage Rescue or Repair Project
• Best Research, Interpretation or Recording of a Historic Building or Place

The winner of the public vote award will be selected by the public from the shortlisted applicants for the six award categories.

The entry process is straightforward and you can nominate a project for an award by completing an application on https://heritageangelawards-ni.org.uk/. The website gives plenty of inspiration and features winners from previous years.

Nominations and applications are now open online.

The deadline for receiving applications is Thursday 1^st February. A team of heritage experts will assess the shortlists for each category and a panel of judges will choose the eventual winners who will be announced at the Heritage Angels Awards NI ceremony on 27th March.  

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

Heritage Angel Awards NI, www.heritageangelawards-ni.org.uk/

Contact:  Philippa Martin, Project Manager

[email protected]:

Phone:  028 9055 0213

Keep up to date with the latest news on Ulster Architectural Heritage on Facebook, X, Instagram and at @ulsterahs

Ulster Architectural Heritage:

UAH is a charitable, membership organisation founded in 1967. It exists to promote appreciation, preservation and conservation of architecture across the nine counties of Ulster. Over the last 50 years UAH has established itself as a fearless campaigner for buildings of merit, a generous resource of information on local architecture, and a fair and helpful source of advice. Its main activities include campaigning & lobbying, support & advice, publications and events. UAH works with the Historic Environment Division, (HED), at the Department for Communities, (DfC), to record and promote the conservation of listed buildings at risk through the Built Heritage at Risk NI, (BHARNI) partnership. www.uahs.org.uk

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation:

Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation was set up by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1992 to promote the arts, culture and heritage for the public benefit; since inception Andrew has been the principal provider of funding for all its charitable activities.

The Foundation now runs an active grant giving programme and has awarded grants of over £20m to support high quality training and personal development as well as other projects that make a real difference to enrich the quality of life both for individuals and within local communities.

www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com

ENDS