Wigan borough community group to host free Heritage Skills Market to get residents hands-on

Residents are invited to attend a Heritage Skills Market on Saturday Arpil 22, in Tyldesley Market Square which has been organised by For Tyldesley Community Interest Company: a recipient of funding from Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone programme.

In what organisers say is an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in the history and heritage of the town, visitors will have the chance to learn and improve their practical skills from 10am to 2pm.

With a focus on construction and conservation, locals will be able to get more information on careers involving heritage building skills.

There will also be free planning and design advice available on the restoration of historic shopfronts, a key part of the transformation of the town as part of the programme.

With a range of practical construction activities and demonstrations including wood carving, plasterwork, joinery skills, putty pointing, brickwork, design-your-own-shopfront and much more, it ensures to be a hands-on day for all the family.

Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to ask questions of expert contractors and other organisations such as Buttress Architects, James Thorpe and Son Ltd (joinery building and restoration), Wigan and Leigh College, HLP Architects, Wigan Council’s conservation officer, Quadriga Contracts Ltd, Claydon Plain and Decorative Plasterwork, and Historic England staff.

Quadriga Contracts Ltd will be running a workshop surrounding carpentry and joinery where people can carve wooden tealight holders to take home.

Claydon Plain and Decorative Plasterwork will also be holding an activity of its own, where people can make small plaster sculptures of their hands, all materials will be provided for the activities.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn about the Hamish Ogston Foundation Heritage Building Skills Programme, a major five-year in-work heritage construction training and apprenticeships programme in the North of England, providing over 40 placements.

The programme is funded by a generous £4.3m grant from the Hamish Ogston Foundation and is managed and delivered by Historic England.

Historic England’s Juliet Baillie, sector skills manager for the programme said: “We are excited to meet people in Tyldesley who want to learn more about careers in heritage conservation, such as the training programme we’ve created in the North of England through the generosity of the Hamish Ogston Foundation.

"Specialist skills are needed to look after traditional buildings and the Heritage Skills Market will be a brilliant opportunity to raise awareness of the varied roles involved."