BRICK-Princes-Regeneration-Trust

The BRICK (Building Resilience, Innovation and Community Knowledge) Programme was a four-year UK-wide capacity-building programme designed by The Prince’s Regeneration Trust (PRT) running from April 2014 to March 2018. It was designed to empower community organisations seeking to save their heritage and build a better future for their communities by providing expertise and advice, developing skills, and improving connectivity.

The BRICK programme was made possible though a major grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Catalyst Programme as well as financial contributions from British Land, Purcell, the Alan Baxter Foundation, and in-kind support from Locality.

Many heritage projects struggle to ‘pass go’ and progress from conception and campaigning to actual delivery. This is often as a result of lack of experience, understanding or support in key project areas. PRT and the HLF identified five key areas where community groups needed better preparation to prove project and organisational viability, secure funding and generate success. The BRICK Programme, therefore, focused on developing skills and expertise in areas of:

  • Governance
  • Business Planning
  • Fundraising from private sources
  • Visioning and Options Development
  • and Digital Innovation.

Over four years, the following core workstreams were rolled out across the UK:

  • 35 regional workshops
  • 4 annual conferences
  • 59 projects receiving tailored mentoring
  • The BRICKwork digital platform
  • The Heritage Helpline

Below is a selection of facts and feedback to highlight the impact of the BRICK Programme over four years.

You can see the evaluation report of the BRICK programme here.

The BRICKwork digital platform continues to ensure that those working on heritage regeneration projects can still access the knowledge and expertise built up by PRT over 20 years of working with community groups.  As part of the BRICK Programme’s legacy, five resource packs have been published, which contain ‘How to’ guides, video presentations and exercises in the key areas of Governance, Business Planning, Private Fundraising, Visioning and Options Development and Digital Innovation.

BRICKwork is now managed by The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF). The AHF is a registered charity, working since 1976 to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. They are the leading heritage social investor and the only specialist heritage lender operating in the UK.

The Prince’s Regeneration Trust is now part of The Prince’s Foundation.