Historic England to examine diversity in heritage volunteering

Historic England will undertake a study to understand the diversity of volunteers across the UK heritage sector to identify barriers and gaps in representation in the sector.

The public body said it will run a Heritage Sector Volunteer Cohort Diversity Survey from May to July this year.

The findings of the survey will be published to help organisations develop strategies for creating more inclusive volunteering opportunities across the heritage sector.

Sean Curran, head of inclusive heritage at Historic England, said: “Volunteers play a vital role in the heritage sector, contributing skills from visitor engagement to archaeological excavation.

“Understanding the makeup of our volunteer community is essential to ensure heritage is truly accessible to everyone.”