Capacity building in Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland

Central European Project participants at Seaton Delaval Hall

As an outcome of INTO’s participation in the visit of HRH The Prince of Wales to the region in March 2010, INTO ran its Central European Project in June 2011. Seven representatives from heritage organisations in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland spent time exploring with their British counterparts different approaches to finding a viable future for historic buildings by balancing conservation community outreach and financial return.

The project was generously funded by INTO’s first Amicus member, Rodney Davidson AO OBE, a veteran of previous ICNTs and great advocate of the value of international collaboration.

Putting aside significant differences in legal frameworks, sources of support and cultural discontinuity, our delegates reflected on the need to create more volunteer opportunities and increase visitor numbers; the capacity of heritage to generate employment and how to persuade the ‘experts’ that commercial and more ‘mass appeal’ activities can still respect historic values.

We celebrated the end of the Central European Project on 22 June with a very special tea party at Clarence House, the London home of HRH The Prince of Wales. It was a super opportunity to mark the fact that INTO had reached fifty member organisations, celebrate our achievements thus far and discuss plans for the future with our members, partners and opinion formers.

The event finished with a round table conversation led by His Royal Highness that sought to develop a sense of common cause through discussing the unique role National Trusts can play in community engagement, mitigating against and adapting to climate change, linking the built and natural environments and sustainable tourism.

INTO at Clarence House, 22 June 2011, image by Paul Burns

Read more about INTO’s Central European Project.