Heritage organisations

Association of Preservation Trusts (UKAPT)

Since 1989, UK APT has been building a network that now consists of 250 building preservation trusts (BPTs). UKAPT is the only UK wide body that exclusively represents the interests of Building Preservation Trusts by providing support, strategic guidance and encouragement to the movement.

In 2010, UK APT adopted the following mission statement:

‘APT is the voice of Building Preservation Trusts in the UK; it promotes and supports the rescue and sustainable use of historic buildings at risk’.

UK APT therefore has two main roles:

1. Encouraging and assisting BPTs to be effective in carrying out their projects, achieved through the provision of advice, information, networking opportunities, publications, guidance, case-studies and knowledge sharing through our research programme and website development proposals.

2. Working to raise the profile of BPTs as the most effective and sustainable vehicles for removing Buildings from national, regional and individual local authority At Risk Registers. by lobbying on their behalf and publicizing their achievements."

Building Preservation Trusts are third sector organisations, driven by communities for the benefit of communities. This constituency of 100,000+ individuals has been delivering the Localism agenda for 25 years. Trusts address scarred historic environments by breathing new life into derelict buildings. Tackling projects that no one else will touch, they eradicate eyesores and replace them with sustainable, active places and spaces. They are unique in being volunteer-led initiatives that directly address Heritage at Risk programmes by not only raising awareness of Buildings at Risk but also tackling them head on to remove them from Building at Risk Registers.

As community regeneration agencies, BPTs have saved over 1,000 buildings for the enjoyment of future generations, leveraging over £1 billion of funding. As these are buildings for which no market solutions can be found, they are by definition more likely to be in areas of deprivation. BPTs are therefore catalysts for delivering remarkable social, economic and environmental benefits in communities across the UK as a result.

Areas of interest

UKAPT Offers:

• Extensive networking opportunities across the UK
• Comprehensive website – www.ukapt.org.uk with mapping of Trust activity, regional pages, extensive guidance for delivery of projects, membership services including access to free VAT advice
• Over 20 regional meetings per year
• National Conference
• Other events and training
• Research reports on BPT Activity in the East Midlands, the North-East of England, Wales and the South-West
• Responses to consultations, representing the views of members