Our latest UK Heritage Pulse survey is now open. We’re seeking views from people who manage or support any type of heritage across the UK.

The survey questions have been designed in response to what you’ve told us is most important to you: organisational resilience, environmental sustainability, recruitment and staffing.

There is nothing more valuable than the first-hand experience and views of those of you working at the frontline of the sector to help us understand what it needs.

Tom Walters, Head of Research, Data and Insight at the Heritage Fund

The information you share will help shape our priorities and funding approaches, including feeding into our ambitious new 10-year strategy. In return, you’ll be the first to hear about the survey results in a special panel members’ webinar on 4 October, and receive actionable insight you can use in your organisation.

Tom Walters, Head of Research, Data and Insight at the Heritage Fund, said: “There is nothing more valuable than the first-hand experience and views of those of you working at the frontline of the sector to help us understand what it needs and how we should direct our funding and our advocacy.” 

Your voice heard

In the first UK Heritage Pulse survey, 54% of respondents said you wanted greater support to innovate and test new approaches. Last month we launched the Heritage Innovation Fund, a pilot initiative to support organisations to explore, test and grow ideas with the potential to shape the future of the heritage workforce.

We also launched a refreshed resilience and recovery support offer after you told us in the first survey it was the most important issue facing the sector right now.

We want to ensure our work is grounded in the views and experience of people working in heritage.

The insight you share is incredibly important to ensure the Heritage Fund and our partners are able to support this great heritage sector of ours to thrive.

Tom Walters

The UK Heritage Pulse panel has grown by 25% since our first survey, and we’re grateful for the insights you’ve shared so far.

We are particularly keen to hear from more people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and from people working with intangible heritage, and industrial, maritime and transport heritage. By increasing numbers in the devolved nations, and across the full breadth of heritage types that make up our sector, we can build a panel that is representative of our reach and ambitions for heritage. 

Visit the UK Heritage Pulse website to register and take part in our latest survey.

Sector insight

Over the summer we shared weekly Instant Pulse polls on Twitter.

From volunteering, community engagement and diversity, to the cost of living crisis, sector fatigue and environmental sustainability, over 100 people shared their views with us each week.

Explore the responses and some selected comments on the UK Heritage Pulse site.

Tom Walters said: “It’s been great to see the enthusiasm with which people have engaged with our summer series of weekly polls, and the variety and strength of opinions you’ve shared with us.

“We look forward to hearing more from you in our second major UK Heritage Pulse survey over the next month. The insight you share is incredibly important to ensure the Heritage Fund and our partners are able to support this great heritage sector of ours to thrive.”

Take our UK Heritage Pulse survey. It's open until 5pm on Friday 9 September 2022.