44 (0)20 7824 7157C-19 Updates
Here you can find shared ideas, resources and inspiration from the INTO family in response to COVID-19
We are thinking of you all as the COVID-19 situation develops on a daily basis. Like every other organisation, our primary concern is for people who are suffering or on the front line. And we hope of course that members and supporters of the international national trust family stay safe.
The virus seems to strike at the very heart of the things we particularly value at INTO, like coming together, networking and community. Global connectivity has been blamed. And yet we know from experience that things are better when we work together as a global community.
Below are our latest posts which include some lovely examples from across the INTO network of how our members are engaging their supporters and building support, amid the challenges of closing properties and keeping organisations solvent (particularly Catherine’s Weekly bulletin from 3 April 2020).
Do also check out our special small grants round in support of expenditure incurred during the pandemic. The deadline for submission is 17 May!
Stay tuned to our social media – and please also tag us in your posts @intoheritage. Do email us any questions or suggestions, or use our ASK-INTO Google doc to request information and expertise bit.ly/CV19ASKINTO.
And here are some other resources which INTO members might find useful:
From INTO members
- The US National Trust for Historic Preservation has shared resources for preservationists, museums and historic sites – to keep staff and audiences engaged and involved, but also to connect them to others in the field
- The National Trust for Canada has shared links to lots of resources here
- The Heritage Alliance (UK)’s advice hub (this includes general government advice but also a useful digest of statements from organisations across the sector, alongside very specific information like ‘cleaning historic surfaces’)
Fundraising
- Bloomerang webinar series on e.g. online events and fundraising in challenging times
- Kindful: How to Fundraise During Coronavirus
Digital
- Cuseum’s webinar recording: How to Keep your Audience Engaged, Entertained and Inspired During the Age of Coronavirus
- Charity Digital’s CV-19 resources
- ICOM’s advice on how to reach – and engage – your public remotely
Communications
- Media Trust (UK)’s Digital Marketing Strategy Toolkit
- CharityComms (UK)’s Crisis Comms Best Practice Guide
Governance
- Acevo (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations – UK): Leadership in challenging times
- NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations – UK)’s Coronavirus and governance: What charity trustees need to think about
- Non-Profit Law (US)’s Coronavirus and COVID-19
- Association of Chairs (UK)’s Coronavirus- what can Chairs do?
A blog by Catherine Leonard, Secretary-General
As INTO members prepare to reopen their sites, our Secretary-General, Catherine Leonard, reflects on the past week:
“Today is a public holiday here in the UK. We moved our usual Spring Bank Holiday (first Monday of May) to Friday 8 May this year. To mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. VE Day was meant to be the start of a weekend of bunting, street parties and community reminiscences.
(Here’s a picture of my bunting, full of reminiscences as it’s made from scraps of material from the past. An old curtain belonging to my Granny, some of my late father’s cotton shirts, clothes our children have outgrown, worn out sheets I bought on my first trip to India – each ‘flag’ tells a story!)
With the country still under lockdown, we will have to wait a little longer until we celebrate. But I read an article in the Guardian this morning about the parallels between the war and coronavirus. ‘The war taught us many things: fellow feeling, shared values, resourcefulness’ the veteran reporter, Joan Bakewell, writes. She goes on ‘with both the war and the pandemic has come the resolve, hardly formulated today but widely shared, that we can’t go back to the old ways’. Coronavirus is an opportunity to confront the ever-growing inequalities in society.
Eager to reopen
This week, we held an INTO member discussion on plans to reopen their sites. There were 29 people on the call and it was heartening to hear common themes emerging. But perhaps more important was the real value people felt in learning and sharing with international colleagues. At the end of the call, we also talked about how INTO members might reshape themselves after the pandemic. How we will all change and adapt to fit the ‘new normal’. It may be painful in some respects but also an opportunity to hold onto some of the good things we’ve learned over the past weeks (and stop doing some of the things we’ve found we don’t really need to do anymore).
Common themes included:
- Reopen in a phased way, starting with the outdoors
- Online bookings only
- Working in partnership with other heritage and environmental organisations
- Volunteers very keen to come back
- Differences in understanding of how popular visiting will be with the public
- Adapted visitor journeys
- Need for good communications, both before and in-visit
Thanks to Fabrice Duffaud of REMPART for the photo!
Writing to government?
I had some good feedback after sharing the National Trust of Canada’s letter to ministers last week, so here are a couple of recent communications from other leaders of our global movement:
Firstly, Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust (of England, Wales and Northern Ireland) last week urged the UK government to ensure its recovery plans support green growth. Like Natalie Bull, she too warns against the temptation of building our way out of the crisis and calls for renewal rather than mere recovery. ‘Our towns and cities can’t take any more destruction of habitat and biodiversity. We must grow back in green, not grey.’
We’re in this together
And secondly, here is Paul Edmondson’s President’s note in the latest issue of Preservation, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the US. Paul also talks about looking to the past for courage, comfort and inspiration. And he highlights the importance of working together. Just as when we address the effects of climate change, the challenges of the coronavirus will require ‘that we work side by side with partners, with experts, and with the public to bring the full breadth of ideas and resources to address a global problem’.
Which says it all really. We are in this together and we will come out of it together. I hope all is well with you, your families and organisations. Do think about our coronavirus TAP-INTO grants and if you don’t already get our newsletter, you can sign up for it here. (And if you’re interested, here is also the latest news from our Innocastle project.)
So, on that note, I’m off to put up some bunting … like Wallace and Gromit in their Jubilee Bunt-a-thon with the National Trust (EWNI) from 2012!
Thanks for reading!
Latest news from the INTO Secretariat
It’s only just over a month ago that the World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a pandemic. And since then the world has changed completely. For many, this has been a terrible and painful time and our hearts go out to our members, supporters and friends affected by the crisis.
There have also been some amazing stories of hope and opportunities for us to live up to the values of our great National Trust movement however. Values of compassion, solidarity and connectivity. Of finding beauty and joy in the simplest things, of learning from others, of finding creative solutions together.
We continue to meet via social media, webinars and other wonderful technological solutions. These enable us to support our member organisations, pool experiences and knowledge, and provide one-to-one advice where we can. We know this is a difficult time for everyone but it has never been more important to have a strong, united INTO family.
– Catherine, Alex and the Secretariat team
Highlights
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FamilyICNT news: We continue to work on plans for our next Conference, due to take place in Antwerp from 19-23 April 2021. The golden thread running through the programme is the importance of collaboration for a sustainable future. The current crisis underlines the importance of working with a variety of different partners. It also highlights the role of tourism in the financial sustainability of our INTO member organisations. And lastly, if we are able to meet in person next year, how much sweeter it will be after this lock down? Our webpages will go live very shortly, so watch this space! Reciprocal visiting: We have received 22 signed MOUs and continue to prepare for the launch of our new INTO global heritage pass in 2021. Technical Assistance Programme: The current round of TAP-INTO is still open (until 27 April!). If you would like to to spend time with another INTO member organisation to learn and share expertise, do please submit an application. Given the current travel restrictions, we will be flexible about when the travel should take place. But get your project submitted as soon as you can! Karin Taylor, Head of Planning at the NTEWNI finished her TAP-INTO placement to the National Trust of Fiji just before the travel bans began. We are working with Karin on the best way to share all the amazing learning resulting from the project. Justin Scully had to leave Uganda slightly earlier than planned and we have just received the first draft of his report on a National Trust for Uganda. Watch this space for further information! Working Holidays: It is unlikely that any international working holidays will take place this summer. However, following our webinar on the subject, we are collaborating with a number of members to develop their offer for future years. The webinar was a result of a recent TAP-INTO collaboration between Rempart in France and the St Helena National Trust. Tara was looking to build a longer-term programme of heritage volunteering on St Helena. And the two organisations explored how that might work at an international scale to benefit global heritage. Covid-19 response: The Secretariat has been supporting INTO members in a variety of difference ways. From Catherine’s weekly updates to member webinars on re-opening or membership issues. From pooling resources to sharing uplifting social media posts. You can read more on our dedicated webpage. GrowthMembership growth: We are delighted to welcome our newest members, the US National Parks Service and the Mehrangarh Museum Trust in India! We have unsurprisingly postponed our Incubator Programme until September. However, we are still expecting many of the original participants to join us then, all being well. You can read the final programme of the postponed version here – it looks fantastic! INTO Africa: We were delighted to be able to support the first face-to-face gathering of the INTO Africa group, outside of our biennial conferences. INTO members and potential future members from across Africa attended a four day programme in Nairobi in February at the National Museum of Kenya. Days one and two were an opportunity for attendees to take part in the Culture Grows programming and get some networking done, thanks to a partnership with the British Council. Days three and four explored themes of common interest for INTO’s African membership. You can read more about it here. Partnerships: Given the current crisis, many decisions on grant applications are being delayed. However, Alex had a really useful call last week with an influential group of funders where he presented INTO’s work and the needs of our organisations during and coming out of the current pandemic. We had to withdraw our application to undertake a project in Russia with the National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland (NTEWNI). But we are hopeful of resubmitting again next year. VoiceCommunications: As the NTEWNI has put many of its staff on temporary leave to take advantage of the government’s furlough scheme, we have lost Emma Taylor for the time being. Over the past few months, Emma has given INTO’s social media a new lease of life. And we actually need her more than ever as so much of what we’re doing at the moment is communications-related! (See our pages on C-19.) However, we look forward to her returning once the crisis is over. In the meantime, Catherine and Alex are handling INTO comms. And your response on World Heritage Day was wonderful. We asked you to share your best virtual visits and you responded. With beautiful drone-shot footage, online tours and virtual walk-throughs that together show how heritage trusts globally are responding to C-19. Thank you for your engagement! There is a lovely quick BuzzFeed-style summary here. There is a delay to our new website. This is because the NTEWNI is generously supporting the work. And they have paused all their non-critical projects during the current crisis. However, the work is half-completed and we look forward to picking up the project in due course. In the meantime, we are exploring with our Webmaster, Bill Turner, what we can do to improve the look and feel of our current website. Watch this space! Climate change: As COP26 has been postponed, we are rethinking our plans for Glasgow 2021. And how we will engage with the issue of climate change in 2020. Alex has been working with the Climate Heritage Network on a possible joint project, for example. One of the encouraging things about the coronavirus pandemic is how quickly people have been able to change their behaviour. We need to learn from this and build on it in the climate change context. When people understand the need to make lifestyle changes, they can do it! Speaking opportunities: Many of the events we had planned have been postponed. Including the INTO Asia meeting planned for March in Singapore as part of the ‘Inspiring Solutions – Culture in Crisis: Preserving Heritage in a Post-colonial Era’ conference. However, Alex did a great job of representing us at the INTO Africa and British Council events in Nairobi in February. Catherine joined members of THA (The Heritage Alliance) at their postponed Heritage Day. INTO supported the attendance of the Director of the Saint Helena National Trust. So it was a great opportunity for her to network with relevant and interesting colleagues too. Read more here. Catherine and Alex joined celebrated Pakistani architect and co-founder of the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, Yasmeen Lari, at a V&A Event. We had hoped to be part of a recent conference with the Foundation and INTBAU Pakistan. So, it was wonderful to meet Yasmeen and hear more about her work in person. Particularly what the Foundation is doing to support community-based strategies for preserving cultural heritage. You can read more here. Since then we have had to take our ‘voice’ opportunities online. Like Catherine’s presentation on ‘visiteering‘ on an Interreg Europe webinar in March. And the INTO panel ‘Conservationists Solidarity Against COVID-19’ during BPPI (Indonesian Heritage Trust)’s World Heritage Day programme on 18 April. Webinars: Speaking of which … we launched our new webinar programme earlier in April. We are inviting experts from the INTO family to talk about their work. Many of these will be delivered by returning TAP-INTO grant recipients. Members will have the opportunity to hear about the exchange of expertise from each project, and ask questions. You can find out more here. StrengthGovernance: Our 2019 Annual Report and Accounts has been independently examined for approval by the Trustees at their meeting on 29 April. As our Communications Assistant Emma Taylor is on furlough leave, it may be a while before we can share a ‘glossy’ version of the report with you all. But we will at least have all the numbers and formal elements ready to file with the Charity Commission. Membership fees: Our new membership renewal system has worked well this year. We have given those who have not paid a little longer than we planned, due to the current situation. But we will be removing those we don’t hear from from our membership roster on 1 May. Innocastle: Our work with the Innocastle project continues virtually. Including an online study visit in May (!) and a mid-term conference in Gelderland in September. |
Coming up
On 5 May we will hold our second Town Hall session on ‘Re-engaging Historic Sites’ at 12 noon GMT. Do let us know if you would like to join that conversation. A summary of the first discussion can be found here.
We will continue to share your ideas and experiences as we face this crisis together. From discussions with our members, we learned that you were eager to learn and share communications ideas. There are two previous blogs with some nice examples on our website: 10 April 2020 and 3 April 2020.
And don’t forget to put our TAP-INTO webinar on ‘Creating Destinations’ into your diary for 13 June, 3pm GMT. Last year, the National Trust for Trinidad and Tobago hosted Clea Warner from the National Trust for Scotland as part of a TAP-INTO project. In this webinar, you’ll hear about creating a destination that people will purposely set out to discover, even if they have to get on a boat to do so. Examples will originate in sites from Scotland’s Highlands to the tropical archipelago of Trinidad and Tobago.
Catherine’s blogs are available here.
Find out more about the INTO Amicus supporters programme here.
Remember, you can now save on hotel bookings and help INTO at the same time with Goodwings!
The International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) is a non-profit organisation registered as a charity England and Wales (No 1175994). The Secretariat is based at our registered address, 20 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK.
See the world’s sites from your sofa with these 14 virtual visits, selected from amongst the responses to World Heritage Day. We asked and you responded, sharing drone-shot footage, online tours and virtual walk-throughs that together show how heritage trusts globally are responding to COVID-19.1 The sun is out for this visit to a Valencian garden, where Spanish INTO member Fundem have prepared a gorgeous tour of the Jardin de L’Albarda. It’s hard not to click when the colours look that good!2 The National Trust of Fiji shared another breathtaking video that will carry you away. It features the Sigatoka Sand Dunes, the Pacific’s largest sand dune system and a National Park. We could watch all day.https://www.facebook.com/FijiNationalTrust/posts/873281083098649 3 Manx National Heritage demonstrate the fruits of their collaboration with Google Expeditions, in order to offer a virtual reality experience to Manx citizens, and now you too. Use the app to visit some of the Isle of Man’s most iconic heritage sites, complete with teacher’s notes and student questions.4 Over in Melbourne, the Victorian branch of the National Trust of Australia have released a virtual tour of the city’s old gaol, where prisoners were locked up from 1842 to 1929. You can explore the building at leisure, visiting all three floors, in this interactive experience.
5 In Africa, one of INTO’s newest members Heritage Watch Ethiopia, shared this vibrant video of historic Addis Ababa . This response to our call for a #virtualvisit includes educational content as well as striking imagery.6 Keeping people busy in the English Channel, The National Trust for Jersey have prepared a full collection of materials to help people explore their island’s heritage. The hub includes virtual tours, podcasts and videos, and we really enjoyed the look around Jersey’s last working watermill.
7 The killer combination of ‘Lake Como’, ‘villa’ and ‘sunshine’ really do all the work for this stunning video. Italian member FAI’s virtual visit allows you to experience this truly spectacular site from home. We recommend watching the video on full screen, you’ll feel like you’re dreaming.8 In the USA, there is real inventiveness being applied to digital engagement, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation are capturing it all in their rundown of 11 American sites to explore. From Nina Simone’s childhood home to a Google Voyager tour of the iconic Route 66, show yourself some American history.
9 Take a moment to relax and fall into your screen in a beautiful video from The National Trust of Korea. A stunning river valley and untouched countryside are your companions for this virtual visit.10 Back in North America, The National Trust for Canada have pulled together a selection of five fascinating virtual options for experiencing Canadian heritage sites. Sick of the view from your sofa? Take your time to wander digitally around the Canadian senate building, or admire ancient rock art in Alberta.11 Catalan INTO member Fundació Catalunya – La Pedrera are satisfying our need for both cultural and natural heritage, with their combined offer. A 360 degree tour of Barcelona’s iconic Gaudi building, or a stunning gorge site protected by the foundation, a tough choice but a good one.12 Another hotbed of European history, Belgian organisation Herita are showing us how to see the sites in their care across Flanders. Sample a castle, cathedral or the coal mine in Genk, now a sprawling contemporary art space.
13 You can also explore sites of religious heritage in this offering from the National Trust Trinidad & Tobago. The church in question has recently been added to Trinidad’s national heritage register, coming under the care of the National Trust there.
14 A list complied for World Heritage Day wouldn’t be complete without some World Heritage Sites. Fortunately, the National Trust has quite a few across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You can see them in all their glory in the entries on the blog below, which completes our round up of virtual visits.
We hope that you enjoyed this round up of virtual visits from INTO members, packed with ideas for exploring the world’s heritage from your home. For more content like this, join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @intoheritage. |
Gelderland Trust’s Biljoen Castle before restoration
Latest news from the INTO Secretariat
This week, I’m sharing details of our discussion yesterday about re-engaging historic sites. Our task force brought together fourteen representatives of INTO member organisations to pool their experiences. A number of common themes emerged: Corona hit most of us when we were just gearing up for a new season. We are all therefore anticipating a big impact on revenue this year although INTO members currently are at different stages. Some are still battling through the crisis or mitigation phases, but we all have something to learn and something to share.
As we begin to look at re-engaging (or re-opening) historic sites, here are some things INTO members are thinking about:
- Focus on local visitors/community
- Phased openings, starting with parks
- Limiting numbers perhaps members only first
- Timed tickets, bought in advance
- Developing new operational / movement plans around sites
- Rethinking the visitor centre to allow for social distancing
- Volunteers largely in the ‘at risk’ group and impact of this on sites
- Need to rethink the nature of our model based on emerging trends
We are all of course waiting to be guided by government advice. Each country will be different. But this means there is a real opportunity to learn from each other and everyone was keen to continue to share ideas and experiences. (You can access our other C-19 resources here.)
– Catherine and the Secretariat team
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These are extraordinary times. For the people and communities we work with, the places we protect and our own organisations. From our conversations with INTO members we’ve heard concerns about financial sustainability, layoffs and wage cuts, security challenges at closed sites … but on the other hand, we’ve seen dramatic increases in online activity, creative ways of engaging the public when our places are closed and a strong willingness to work together. Here are our members’ thoughts on ‘re-engaging’ historic sites:
Community impactWe heard from the Manx National Heritage, Isle of Man that many of their staff were volunteering to help with community issues. Like other INTO members, they will need to focus more on their local audience with the downturn in tourism. The National Trust for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (NTEWNI) noted a big shift to online content, but like the Trustees below, there is still a high reliance on actual visits. They acknowledge that reopening will be complicated and are eager to learn from other country’s experiences. We miss you!Our colleagues at FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano (The National Trust for Italy) continue their ItaliaMiManchi (Italy, I miss you) campaign with a focus on local tourism. They use social media to present a different property, at the same time every night. They have recycled old footage and added new voice overs. FAI are interested in developing member-only virtual visits to help support member value. In Canada, the National Trust for Land and Culture (B.C.) Society reported some cases of vandalism / people climbing fences to access closed down sites. They also highlighted wildlife conservation issues relating to bats. Government biologists have warned that bats might contract virus from humans now. This is impacting on site management. Future of volunteeringLike the NTEWNI, the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) also tried to keep some sites open initially, but they are now all closed. They mentioned NTS’s dependence on volunteers to open their properties to the public. As most are in vulnerable groups, they are considering how to use staff to cover these roles. They are also lobbying government for more financial support. Herita‘s sites are all closed and they have also increased their digital output. They are looking ahead to their heritage open days and thinking about how these could also go online. Colleagues from the National Trust for Canada reported that the summer festival they normally host with Parks Canada is going virtual. They hope to link up 500 sites across the country in an online road trip. Could be some good learning to share coming out of this experience! In Puerto Rico, Para la Naturaleza is continuing to look after its 35,000 acres of land (tree planting and maintenance is considered essential work). They are trying to get ready for the next hurricane season. Re-engaging on a phased basis might start with conservation staff. Phase 2 could involve small groups of volunteers (they are supported by 20,000 for their citizen science activities). With phase 3 seeing the return of small numbers of people (20-25). Re-engaging AmericaThe Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts said that some communities are finding it hard to access the outdoors. They therefore worked with state government to figure out how to re-open their natural sites. Out of their 118 outdoors spaces, they opened 74 last week. These are all either rural or suburban. They are rigorously monitoring and tracking experiences. They have also put their farm shops online (in 3 weeks!) and now people are able to order in advance and swing by the farms to pick up groceries. Moving forward the Trustees are considering a timed ticketing system for their beach and high visitation properties. They are developing operational plans for particular sites (with movement patterns, etc). Staying in the US, the National Parks Service introduced us to the idea of ‘re-engaging’ instead of ‘re-opening’. They are looking at how they can adapt experiences in a phased way. Moreover they are doing a lot of thinking around visitor management, particularly at visitor centres. Options under consideration include phone banks so visitors can ‘dial a ranger’; home deliveries of gift shop purchases; or even on-site vending machines. Digital pivotThe National Trust of South Australia has closed 100 buildings but their nature sites remain open. They too are pivoting to more digital content, including live streamed concerts from (closed) historic places. Also exploring how to repurpose existing apps for virtual tours. They are looking at a wholesale transformation as they come out of C-19. Re-engaging discussionParticipants felt it was important to think about what are short-term blips and what are long-term trends:
What will be the impact on our organisations, how can we prosper with these changes, how should we be rethinking our offers? When we closed our sites, we had to work quickly and largely in isolation. With the reopening of sites, everyone agreed, there is an opportunity to pool strategies and experiences as each country emerges from the lockdown. The strength of INTO’s international network was also acknowledged so do please contact for more details. |
And finally
Earlier this week, another small group looked at approaches to managing membership during the Covid-19 pandemic. How to proactively mitigate against cancellations; strategies for handling requests for extensions or refunds of annual memberships; how to build member value when sites are closed. Again, please contact us for further information.
Coming up …
Tomorrow (Saturday 18 April) is World Heritage Day! Please remember to post your virtual visits on social media and tag them @intoheritage and #virtualvist.
You can also catch a series of webinars hosted by the Indonesian Heritage Trust (BPPI) including one featuring INTO members at 1pm GMT. The full programme is downloadable here!
Then on Tuesday 21 April, we are hosting a webinar on Working Holidays at 1pm GMT. You can find out more and register here.
The International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) is a non-profit organisation registered as a charity England and Wales (No 1175994). The Secretariat is based at our registered address, 20 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK
Latest news from the INTO Secretariat
Katherine Malone-France, Chief Preservation Officer at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, presenting at INTO Bali 2017
As we have reached out to the INTO membership this week, we see that national trusts around the world are trying to work through their various responses at this difficult and challenging time. Covid-19 is already impacting (and will continue to do so for some time) organisations across the INTO family and wider sector. The national trust model is based on bringing people together to visit special places: A membership offer that relies on free entry to these sites, and an income stream from gate fees, special events, exhibitions. Many INTO members are grappling with what this will look like post-coronavirus.
Following on from these conversations, we have arranged some discussion groups next week. These ‘task forces’ will bring together a selection of our members to brainstorm Covid-19 issues. Namely membership and plans for reopening, both proposed by INTO members. We may consider other themes (like volunteering, for example) so do please let us know what’s on your mind. (With sites closed, and many older volunteers in the ‘at risk’ category, organisations are at danger of losing the volunteer base upon which they rely.)
Keep sharing your ideas and content with us! Through our ongoing discussions with the INTO family, we know how much value there is in working together. However, we also know that some of you are simply focusing on basic survival at the moment. We wish you the very best and will be here for you when you need us.
– Catherine and the Secretariat team
Highlights
The Gelderland Trust shared this beautiful personal journey showing spring’s progress in the Southern Netherlands
Simple ideas also work well, like this introduction to Jersey’s wild flowers
Take a peek inside Georgina McCrae’s beautiful sewing box With our friends at the National Trust of Fiji, we join in wishing you a Happy Easter |
Over the course of the past week, we have again been humbled and inspired by our amazing INTO members. How they have taken their work online, what they are doing to engage their core audiences and the support they are offering the wider sector.
The ability to offer ongoing virtual access and online content is proving vital to protecting their membership, visitor and supporter base. Alex has therefore been collecting examples from across the INTO network which we are sharing on our social media @intoheritage. We list some of these below. Do please continue to share your ideas and content. It is incredibly valuable, especially when we might be feeling alone, to feel part of something bigger! And to gain joy and inspiration from others. Stay at home this EasterHere is the National Trust (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)’s appeal to stay at home this Easter. Normally, Easter is a time when we all welcome hundreds of people to our places. Please take a few minutes to listen to Director-General, Hilary McGrady’s personal message. Aimed at members and supporters, she talks movingly about enjoying Easter fun and connection with nature while staying home. Nature, beauty and history are more important in people’s lives than ever. The NTEWNI’s Great Easter Scavenger Hunt (to be done in the comfort of your own home!) can be found here. To be reminded of the Easter story, why not tune in this introduction to the beautiful 15th century frescoes at FAI’s Castello della Manta? Daniela Bruno of FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano, the National Trust for Italy, walks us through the Passion of Jesus depicted here at the Church of Santa Maria. Love in the time of Covid-19Longing for nature? INTO members around the world are overcoming the challenges posed by coronavirus, using technology to enable #virtualvisits. Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic continues, we’re regularly featuring the innovative ways that you can still enjoy your favourite natural places from your living room. We are loving these ideas:
Parked at home?Our INTO members are being so creative in the sorts of things they are offering their members and supporters online. I have already shared a number of these in previous blogs (including in last week’s update, which you can find here). And here are a few more to inspire and entertain you: The Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts have gathered lots of incredible resources together here. From getting your (virtual) dose of nature to gardening tips or keeping the children busy, its full of ideas that INTO members can ‘steal with pride’! Having visited Castle Hill in November, I’m quietly obsessed with Little Women. (The Trustees’ Crane Estate was used as a location in the recent film.) So, imagine my delight at finding Fruitlands Museum Engagement Manager, Catherine Shortliffe, reading from the novel! (Fruitlands was a Utopian agrarian commune which Louisa May Alcott’s father established in the 1840s.) On the subject of movie escapism, National Trust for Canada has shared a list of ten movies filmed at Canadian historic places. Or how about peeking inside Georgina McCrae’s Sewing Box from the comfort of your sofa? These wonderfully intricate items are shared as part of National Trust of Australia (Victoria)‘s keep the lights on appeal, seeking to cover costs at their head office Tasma Terrace. Keep following @intoheritage for more of these in the coming weeks – and do please share your content with us too! Team-building tipsWe are all developing our own strategies for dealing with the isolation of home-working. From virtual team happy hours to meetings where team members have introduced items from the ‘collection’. (Everyday things from their own homes!) And we’ve all seen photographs on social media of our colleagues dressed as famous portraits. Here’s a link to #notthenationaltrust on Twitter – people doing brilliant spoof tours of their own houses. Guaranteed to make you smile! And lastly, the US National Parks Service tips for home-working. (They also have some more slightly more serious content available (!) particularly Find your ‘Virtual’ Park). We’re in this togetherThanks to your suggestions, we now have a Covid-19 page on our website. Here you can find shared ideas, resources and inspiration from the INTO family in response to the pandemic. Our members also continue to share materials with their communities. Here, for example. Katherine Malone-France, Chief Preservation Officer at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and INTO Trustee, provides a variety of ways in which to champion preservation in this challenging time. |
Coming up …
Over the past days, we’ve celebrated the birthdays of INTO members in Australia, Bermuda and the Netherlands. Congratulations to you all!
We look forward to sharing the results of our ‘task force’ conversations amongst the wider INTO membership in a week or so.
Firstly, a small group to look at approaches to managing membership during the Covid-19 pandemic. How to proactively mitigate against cancellations; strategies for handling requests for extensions or refunds of annual memberships; how to build member value when sites are closed. It will also look at unresolved challenges and plans for addressing them.
Secondly, a forward look to reopening. We all had to react so quickly to close properties that we mostly acted individually. As we think about reopening, there is an opportunity to pool insights and develop a combined, global approach. Sharing experiences will be particularly important as we will be doing this consecutively because each country has its own particular circumstances and Covid-19 restrictions.
Finally, we will be hosting an online discussion on Saturday 18 April at 1pm GMT as part of BPPI (Indonesian Heritage Trust)’s World Heritage Day celebrations. Full details to follow – Watch this space!
And remember, the first of our TAP-INTO webinars will take place on 21 April at 1pm GMT. More details can be found here.
The International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) is a non-profit organisation registered as a charity England and Wales (No 1175994). The Secretariat is based at our registered address, 20 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK
Latest news from the INTO Secretariat
With thanks to the Bermuda National Trust for the photo of their Waterville HQ
I’ve just come off a teleconference with our Board of Trustees. And they wanted me to pass on their support to you all at this challenging time. Both to you personally and to your organisations. As leaders of their own trusts, they understand the challenges you are facing and stand in solidarity with you.
This call gave us the chance to share experiences (in shutting down properties and offices, communicating to supporters, keeping solvent); to hear inspiring stories from across the world (like our colleagues at BPPI sending vitamins to rangers looking after wildlife in the Indonesian forests) and to be moved by heroic endeavours (such as the US National Trust shutting down all their properties in one day or the CCFU’s WhatsApp group to combat anxiety).
This is difficult. We are all worried about the future. But I am so uplifted by what our INTO members are doing. And the generous way you are seeking to strengthen the ties between the trusts of the world. By sharing your expertise so that we can all make our resources go further, increase engagement and deal with change. Please ‘steal with pride’ from the tips and examples of good communications below. Keep well and safe.
– Catherine and the Secretariat team
HighlightsFAI’s little film is inspired by Jean Luc Godard’s movie A Bande Apart, in which the main characters race through the Louvre in 9 minutes and 47 seconds! The National Trust for Jersey’s mysterious sign, which they have left in place as a good suggestion! NTEWNI: “With your help, we’ll be here when this is over, helping people and nature to thrive.” NTEWNI property staff in quarantine |
INTO members have been quick to provide alternative offers to their members and supporters while their properties are closed. Here is a small selection of communications – please share yours!
FAI has created #ItaliaMiManchi (I miss you Italy)Under the banner of #ItaliaMiManchi, FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano, The National Trust for Italy, is sharing lots of great online content with its members and supporters, including this wonderful virtual visit. Introduced by our friend, Daniela Bruno (who you may remember from INTO Cambridge 2015), it’s a five-minute tour of Villa Panza. The INTO Trustees visited Villa Panza in 2016 and were struck by the juxtaposition of modern art in the 18th Century property. I remember being taken quite aback at James Turrell’s Skyspaces – openings cut into the ceiling and wall that frame the sky. But as Daniela says, it’s not a museum, it’s a home. I love that this film also highlights that FAI members get in free (at this and every other FAI property) – and that it finishes “we’re waiting to see you as soon as possible”. FAI’s latest member newsletter contains some other good ideas. How places save and sustain us all!The US National Trust for Historic Preservation has been sharing lots of wonderful content and resources around visiting your favourite historic place, supporting local businesses, keeping your family engaged with learning. All with a focus on the power of place.
And I really liked reading INTO Trustee, Katherine Malone-France’s take on virtual tours, like this one of James Madison’s Montpelier which “like thousands of historic places across the nation, embodies our capacity to persevere, adapt, and endure in ways that are incredibly inspiring, especially in a time of crisis and uncertainty.” Total PositivityKatherine also just mentioned on our call this lovely twitter feed from Belle Grove, one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s historic sites. They are using TP or Total Positivity as a banner for posts about anything uplifting from rainbows and signs of spring to news from the community and local businesses. Mysterious signNational Trust for Jersey is just finishing it’s ‘Things to Do’ pages, including children’s activities and some nice walks and trails. Staff have been sharing photos of their new office views (all incredibly beautiful it seems). CEO Charles Alluto also reported a mysterious sign which had appeared at one of their properties advising people to all walk around clockwise to ensure social distancing. Some of their self-catering property is also being made available to people who might need to self-isolate. The Lady with the Unfortunate ShouldersPersonally, I’m loving the Bermuda National Trust’s exploration of items in their collection, including Who was the Lady with the Unfortunate Shoulders, Where to Park a Prominent Posterior and The Mystery of the James Madison Tea-set! It’s quiet without you …The ‘places sustain us’ sentiment of the US National Trust is echoed by the National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland in its latest video. The message is simple: “Nature, beauty and history are for everyone. With your help, we’ll be here when this is over, helping people and nature to thrive. It’s quiet without you … and we can’t wait to welcome you back. Until then, be inspired online at nationaltrust.org.uk” Many NTEWNI colleagues are contributing to wider civil society and community efforts, particularly now they are on temporary leave. They have been devising rotas to phone elderly and isolated volunteers, picking flowers from closed gardens and leaving out bouquets for people to collect, donating leftover food from tearooms to local communities. And there has been some light-heartedness as well. I love this re-interpretation of the 1st Viscount Bangor at Castle Ward! Through it all, NTEWNI is encouraging multi-voice dialogue: so lots of friendly social media flow from individuals (like simple daily updates from Ranger Toby), inviting people to share their memories of past visits and encouraging followers to share and respond to one another’s stuff. What do people want?We were reminded on our Trustee call that many countries are focussing on basic survival at the moment. And heritage conservation is not high on government agendas. But it was good to hear from CCFU that they are researching stories of how communities have survived epidemics in the past. That the Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development is supporting craft workers who have lost their incomes. And BPPI (Indonesian Heritage Trust) is writing a book about the value of traditional culture. INTO members that rely on membership income and property visitation highlighted the following as important for their supporters:
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And finally …
We also talked with the Trustees about how INTO should be responding, as a global family of national trusts. Last Friday I told you about a shared document we had created for your queries and ideas. Well, to be honest, I don’t think that was what you needed. So, today’s conversation with the Trustees was really helpful as it has thrown up some other suggestions around joint campaigns with a particular focus on World Heritage Day – watch this space!
We will continue to share good practice as we find it – either via our social media channels if appropriate @intoheritage or through this weekly bulletin. So, if you have anything you’d like to share with other INTO members, do please email it to me directly.
I’m afraid we know most about what the NTEWNI is doing given our proximity so do please share what your organisation is up to so that we can share the love! I realise of course that everyone’s primary concerns are for those who are suffering or working on the front line. And I agree. But we also know how much our work contributes to people’s wellbeing. History, culture, beauty and nature definitely work alongside kindness, compassion and feeling part of something bigger. So, I hope this note will help you feel part of the INTO family as we work through this together.
The International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) is a non-profit organisation registered as a charity England and Wales (No 1175994). The Secretariat is based at our registered address, 20 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK.
A blog by Catherine Leonard, Secretary-General
We’ve all been doing lots of webinars recently. (See last week’s blog!) And on Monday we held our first INTO member webinar on responses to the coronavirus. It was really good to share stories and experiences and to support one another. And afterwards to hear from others who couldn’t make it, but shared ideas and best wishes from afar. I was impressed and humbled by our members’ resilience and eagerness to support one another. Thank you to everyone who participated!
INTO family
Fabrice Duffaud of Rempart illustrated this point beautifully on the webinar. For 10 years, Rempart has worked with the Ruan Yisan Foundation in China. Sharing volunteers on joint working holidays and other projects. Well, under Ding Feng’s leadership the Foundation is sending medical supplies to France, in an expression of solidarity. What a wonderful way to celebrate the INTO family!
We had considered developing an INTO C-19 advice hub, but there seems to be so much information out there at the moment (please check out the list below) that we wanted to focus on very specific requests from our INTO members. To use our connectivity to find creative and positive outcomes.
ASK-INTO
Much of this can be done via social media. (Stay tuned to @intoheritage!) But we’ve also begun a very simple shared document, a live resource for our members to find new strategies for resilience during this time by asking us at INTO. You can find it on Google Docs here bit.ly/CV19ASKINTO. Please use it to request information and expertise from our network.
The sorts of things we discussed on the webinar were:
- How are INTO members going to fill gaps in their budgets left by cancelling events and closing properties?
- How do we approach membership and membership extensions whilst our sites are closed?
- What support are INTO members asking their governments for?
- What advice do INTO Members have on how to manage outdoor spaces that are open to all (i.e. ungated or with multiple access points)?
- Who has good communications to share? Creative ideas, nice stories, good communications, fundraising ideas, messages of solidarity …
We want to support the INTO family and will keep sharing inspiring stories, creative ideas and messages of solidarity to help us all through these challenging times. Please pass on anything you think might be helpful to other INTO members.
Other resources and ideas
The US National Trust for Historic Preservation has shared resources for preservationists, museums and historic sites. To keep staff and audiences engaged and involved, but also to connect them to others in the field.
Thanks to the National Trust for Canada for even mentioning our webinar in their latest newsletter! They also shared links to lots of resources for the Canadian sector.
Take a look at the NTEWNI’s celebration of the blossom season emulating Hanami, the ancient Japanese tradition of viewing and celebrating blossom as the first sign of spring. With our connection to nature more important now than ever, the Trust is encouraging those who can see a tree in flower – whether in their garden, through their window or on city streets – to take a moment to pause, actively notice and enjoy the fleeting beauty of blossom, and share their images on social media for those who can’t see blossom themselves. INTO Members can help #BlossomWatch go global? (The Trust’s press release is here.)
Our colleagues here at The Heritage Alliance in the UK have developed an advice hub. This includes general government advice but also a useful digest of statements from organisations across the sector. Alongside very specific information like ‘cleaning historic surfaces’.
Some of our members asked whether we might hold another webinar, so we’ll look for a time that might work for other parts of the world and arrange that shortly. In the meantime, do keep yourselves, your families, your colleagues and organisations safe and well. And we look forward to connecting again soon!
More resources
Impact surveys
- Heritage Fund (UK): How CV-19 Is Affecting you
- ICOMOS Survey: Impact of Heritage Closures due to Covid-19
Fundraising
- Bloomerang webinar series on e.g. online events and fundraising in challenging times
- Kindful: How to Fundraise During Coronavirus
Digital
- Cuseum’s webinar recording: How to Keep your Audience Engaged, Entertained and Inspired During the Age of Coronavirus
- Charity Digital’s CV-19 resources
- ICOM’s advice on how to reach – and engage – your public remotely
Communications
- Media Trust (UK)’s Digital Marketing Strategy Toolkit
- CharityComms (UK)’s Crisis Comms Best Practice Guide
Governance
- Acevo (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations – UK): Leadership in challenging times
- NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations – UK)’s Coronavirus and governance: What charity trustees need to think about
- Non-Profit Law (US)’s Coronavirus and COVID-19
- Association of Chairs (UK)’s Coronavirus- what can Chairs do?
A blog by Catherine Leonard, Secretary-General
Week of change
My goodness, what a week. Last Friday, Alex and I decided to postpone the Incubator. We did this with a heavy heart, but it was the only thing to do. We couldn’t risk endangering any of our participants. It had always been the plan to update everyone on Monday 16 March, which Alex then did. And he got so many lovely messages in response. About how sad everyone was, what a brilliant programme he’d put together and how everyone was really looking forward to the new dates in September.
Later that evening, our government here finally moved. Asking everyone to stay at home and warning of further measures to come. The National Trust (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) immediately announced it would close its buildings (houses, restaurants, shops). But that it would keep open its parks and gardens as long as possible. What could be better for the nation at this time than fresh air? And nature, beauty and history?
And so it began. Well, it had begun weeks ago of course but I think we all suddenly realised that things had to really change. And what’s more, that we each have our part to play. Over the course of the week here, the government introduced ever more stringent measures. On Tuesday, we were advised against non-essential overseas travel. The next day, the prime minister announced that schools would close. Then we were urged to avoid pubs, bars and restaurants, to stay at home and keep washing our hands. By Saturday, they were all to be closed. And on Sunday, the National Trust had to close its gated gardens and parks. Quite simply too many people had taken the opportunity to visit and it was no longer safe.
Come together, right now
I know other countries are taking similar measures and that we are not alone in any of this. Last Friday we mailed INTO members to express our support for them all. It’s a really difficult time for everyone. No one knows what COVID-19 will mean for the people and places we care for as an international National Trust movement.
And the virus even seems to strike at the heart of the things we particularly value at INTO. Like coming together, networking and community. Moreover, it was important to say that, whilst global connectivity has been blamed, we know from experience that things are better when we work together. As a global community.
Many INTO members responded. We heard stories of site closures, keeping people safe – especially elderly volunteers – remote working, engaging with people who are self-isolating at home, and many more heroic endeavours to help protect our communities.
We also heard that people are feeling worried and isolated at this difficult time. Which underlined for me the need to support each other, as individuals, as a network and a movement.
INTO member webinar
So, we’re holding a webinar on Monday 23 March at 1pm GMT where INTO members can share strategies and feel part of the wider NT family response. There’s no particular agenda, just an opportunity to share experiences and stories. And/or concerns that could benefit from the collective wisdom of the INTO membership.
Life has shifted for all of us. Last week was full of webinars and teleconferences. That’s pretty much business and usual for us here at INTO. (Here I am on an Interreg Europe webinar on Thursday!) But for many of our colleagues, being confined to barracks is very new and unsettling.
As we stand in solidarity with members of the international National Trust movement, now’s the time to work together. To share ideas and approaches, concerns and worries. And to think of things we can do to help each other in these extraordinary times.
Keep well, everyone and look forward to speaking tomorrow!
We are thinking of you all as the COVID-19 situation develops on a daily basis. Like every other organisation, our primary concern is that members of the international National Trust family stay safe.
The virus seems to strike at the very heart of the things we particularly value at INTO, like coming together, networking and community. Global connectivity has been blamed. And yet we know from experience that things are better when we work together as a global community.
As many heritage sites have closed due to COVID-19, we recognise that the coming months will be challenging for our members and the public alike. No one knows exactly what it will mean for the people and places we care for as an international National Trust movement. But the impacts will be long-lasting.
So, now’s the time for us to all come together as a global family. To share ideas and approaches, concerns and worries. And to stand in solidarity with other members of the international National Trust movement. We are stronger together.
We will continue to meet via social media, webinars and other wonderful technological solutions. We will find creative and positive outcomes. Currently, we are asking our members what support, advice or resources they need from INTO and will be sharing those answers shortly. If in the meantime there is anything you are anxious about or wish to share, please contact the INTO Secretariat via the usual channels.
With our very best wishes and trusting that you will all keep safe and well.
Fiona Reynolds, Chairman of INTO, and Catherine Leonard, INTO Secretary-General
