For the third year running, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has sponsored the Sustainable Project of the Year category at the Museum + Heritage Awards. The award has been developed in response to the current climate and ecological emergency and will shine a light on an outstanding environmentally sustainable project or exhibition staged by a heritage or cultural organisation in the UK.
Entrants must demonstrate best practice in managing the environmental impacts of their activities, such as considering energy efficiency measures, recycling and reuse, sustainable procurement and supporting green visitor travel.
For the first time there will be two winners in 2022:
- One which has used simple, affordable and easily-transferable approaches.
For example, in 2020 the inaugural award was won by the Museum of Oxford for its temporary exhibition “Queering Spires: a history of LGBTIQA+ spaces in Oxford”. It impressed with its sustainable approach including sourcing art pieces and materials locally and transporting objects using public transport.
- One which has delivered an environmentally sustainable capital project.
Jubilee Pool Penzance was crowned the winning project in a virtual ceremony in July 2021. The 85-year-old Art Deco lido was refurbished with a pioneering geothermal heating system, removing the need for fossil fuel energy. The much-loved leisure location is the first pool in the UK to use the method.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is already demonstrating the importance of investing in the UK’s heritage to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change. By supporting the restoration of existing buildings with all their embodied energy and restoring carbon rich landscapes like peat bogs and wetlands we are helping to address the twin climate and ecological crises. National Lottery players raise £30 million every week for good causes like these across the UK.
Drew Bennellick, Head of Land and Nature Policy at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
“As COP26 focuses the world on our planet’s climate and ecological emergencies, now is a vital time to consider how we can all make a difference through our own lives, work and actions.
“The heritage sector – from our buildings and museums, to our parks and countryside – also has an important role to play in reducing carbon emissions and tackling climate change. The Sustainable Project of the Year awards showcase those organisations leading the way to achieving this.
“Our previous winners have set the bar high with their commitment and innovative approaches towards sustainability and we look forward to celebrating even more examples this year.”
Anna Preedy, director of the annual Museums + Heritage Awards, said:
“These awards recognise the amazing achievements, creativity, innovation, hard work and utter commitment evident throughout the museums and heritage sector, with the winners and those shortlisted representing the very best of the best. We hope that the new categories announced this year will inspire projects of all sizes to put themselves forward to be considered.”
The awards are free to enter until 1 February 2022 with the winner announced on 11 May 2022.
