The Industrial Heritage Support Officer (IHSO) project began in September 2012 and was managed by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT) from 2012 to 2026. The National Trust took over the Ironbridge museums in March 2026, and employs the IHSO officer through a grant from Historic England (HE) via their National Capacity Building Programme. The project is run in partnership with the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA), who also provide funding.

The project steering group includes representatives from the Association of Independent Museums, ABTEM, Arts Council England, Canal & River Trust, English Heritage, National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Trust, Science Museum Group, and a project liaison from Historic England.

Why is the Project needed?

The IHSO project stems from a growing concern, underpinned by the findings of the late Sir Neil Cossons’ Sustaining England’s Industrial Heritage: A Future for Preserved Industrial Sites in England 2008 report for English Heritage, that publicly accessible industrial heritage sites face an increasingly uncertain future. Many of the of the more than 600 industrial heritage sites in England that are projected, interpreted, and open to the public, are owned or operated by charitable trusts, and are wholly or partly run by volunteers.

Common problems include issues of volunteer retention and recruitment, technical skills transfer from an ageing volunteer base, adapting to a radically changing funding and visitor environment, and achieving modern ‘best practice’ conservation, management, and visitor presentation standards. In addition, industrial heritage and archaeology sites are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to their management of water supplies, use of heritage fuels, and often rural locations. The particular nature of industrial heritage attractions, typically combining extensive sites, big and complex historic buildings and additional features such as working machinery, make these challenges especially pressing.

What does the Project aim to do?

The IHSO project aims to support the c. 400 organisations in England that look after more than 600 protected, interpreted, and publicly accessible industrial heritage and archaeology sites through:

• Support and Promote Best Practice Through Face-to-face Support and Digital Media
• Support & Run Industrial Heritage Support Networks
• Support and Aid Strategic Leadership & Partnerships (including via online seminars)
• Gather Data on the state/condition/resilience of the industrial sites & project impact

Staying in Contact and Engaging

You can engage with and follow the IHSO project, and the Industrial Heritage Networks, online in a variety of ways:

• via the project Facebook pages (www.facebook.com/IHSOengland/);
• by signing up for regular email alerts from the two project websites:  industrialheritagesupport.com for funding & guidance and industrialheritagenetworks.com for stories & member news;
• and via social media – just search for @IHSOengland, and on LinkedIn (MikeNevell) and Instagram (ihso_england).

To contact the IHSO email: michael.nevell@nationaltrust.org.uk