Finding funding opportunities can always be hard, particularly in the arts and heritage sector. Organisations such as the Architectural Heritage Fund are pivotal in helping architects and their communities find enterprising ways to revitalise the old buildings they love by helping them with advice, grants and loans. The Architectural Heritage Fund (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. Their support acts as a catalyst for putting sustainable heritage at the heart of vibrant local economies. This Forum, primarily directed at architects who have an interest in working with heritage and wanting to directly impact local communities, aims to highlight the great work of the AHF by highlighting the opportunities the fund can offer, whilst showcasing 3 examples of the word done under their banner.Learning Outcomes• Understand ways to innovate projects so they involve communities and drive social change. • Recognise how community involvement can create opportunities through funds such as the AHF. • See how communities can directly participate in conserving and renovating their local areas. • Identify how this process gives architects opportunities to work on historically and socially significant sites. • Gain insights from AHF representatives on how funds operate and how to make use of them. • Learn from case studies showing the real impact of funds like the AHF on communities. Programme Introducing the event: the funding landscape and why its so important— Lisa McFarlane The AHF: its goals and sector impact — Matthew McKeague Effecting Change in the Heritage Landscape — Esther Robinson Wild Former Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank — Stephen Anderson Jubilee Pool — Alex Scott-Whitby & Jubilee Pool Representative The Buttermarket — Claire Fear Who is this course for?This course is designed for architects who want to impact heritage on a local scale in order to affect positive social and historical conservation and is relevant to: • Young Architects • Conservation Architects • Retrofit Architects • Architects with an interest in community and the social impact of historic architecture SpeakersLisa McFarlane, Director & Specialist Conservation Architect, Seven Lisa is a RIBA Specialist Conservation Architect and Director of seven based in Manchester. She is past President of the Manchester Society of Architects and is a full Member of the IHBC. Lisa is passionate about ensuring sensitive historical buildings can be enjoyed for future generations and has developed specialist expertise in conservation architecture. Her skills are valued throughout the profession, and she is a regular judge for the RICS Awards, Civic Trust Awards and for the Conservation Category in the RIBA NW Regional Awards. Lisa also sits on the Manchester City Council Conservation Panel and is Co-chair of the RIBA Conservation Register Steering Group. Matthew McKeague, Architectural Heritage Fund CEO Matthew joined the Architectural Heritage Fund as CEO in October 2017 and has led the expansion of the organisation in developing and delivering its vision to support community and social enterprises to adapt and reuse historic buildings for the benefit of communities. Prior to joining the AHF, Matthew was the Director of Regeneration for the Churches Conservation Trust. He led the Regeneration Team in finding solutions for the Trust’s estate of historic churches and in facilitating greater involvement of communities and not-for-profit organisations in maintaining and running them. He also set up the CCT's consultancy service. Esther Robinson Wild, Robinson Wild Historic Environment Consultants Esther has a MA in the Archaeology of Buildings from the University of York and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA). She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) and a CIfA accredited member (MCIfA). Esther is the former co-lead (with Alan Chandler) of the London School of Architecture's Part 4 course "Working with Heritage". Esther is a Trustee of the AHF and sits on several panels and committees including the AHF's HIF Credit Panel and The Twentieth Century Society's Casework Committee. Stephen Anderson, Chair of Valley Heritage and Director at Buttress An architect since 2003, and with specific qualifications in architectural conservation, Stephen is a passionate and enthusiastic project lead. He responds to the complexity offered by these projects with a creative, reasoned, and practical approach. From strategic plans to reversing issues of condition, new design and project management, many of Stephen’s projects are complex, sensitive and involve numerous stakeholders. His team are currently working on projects at World Heritage Sites, Scheduled Monuments, Heritage Action Zones, and listed buildings of all grades. Stephen is also a National Lottery Heritage Fund Mentor and chair of a Heritage Development Trust. Alex Scott-Whitby, Director at ScottWhitbyStudio Passionate about education, Alex combines leading Scott Whitby Studio with being Associate Professor of Architecture at Kingston University. Prior to this he was senior lecturer at the University of East London, and led the Architecture and Physical Design Cluster. He holds a visiting faculty position at the Berlin International University of Applied Science where he runs a course on restoration and conservation. Previously, he was a Diploma unit master at the Architectural Association, visiting lecturer at The Welsh School of Architecture, and a visiting professor at the International University of Architecture, Venice. Claire Fear, Director at Thread Claire Fear is the founder and director of Thread, a progressive, collaborative team focussed on the human story, cultural heritage, community value and our climate responsibility. An AABC Accredited Architect for over a decade, Claire leads the practice with a creative ethos, uniting conservation integrity and forward thinking. Thread is structured to deliver thoughtful, research-driven projects, with in-house researchers and model-making capacity supporting original analysis and development. This enables the practice to interrogate complex heritage issues with rigour and imagination, ensuring that design decisions are firmly grounded in evidence while remaining innovative and technically grounded. Please note Each recording will expire 12 months after enrolling onto the module This course was recorded on 30 October 2025 For more information on this course, or if there are no places available, please email us, or call +44 (0)20 7307 5355 to talk to a member of the team. Please view the Terms and Conditions for more information.
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