 |
 |
David Dawson Senior ICT Adviser Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries Fifth Floor, 19-29 Woburn Place London WC1H 0LU email: [log in to unmask] tel: 020 7273 8757 (direct line) www.resource.gov.uk www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk > -----Original Message----- > From: Mike Heyworth [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2000 12:40 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: MORI poll reveals overwhelming support for the historic > environme nt > > > English Heritage news release (26/9/00): > > MORI POLL REVEALS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT > > Almost everyone feels that the historic environment plays an > important role in the life of the country. Above all people think > that the historic environment is vital to educate children and > adults about England's past. The great majority of people > believe that public funds should be used to preserve historic > buildings. > > Three-quarters agree that it is important to preserve the best > modern buildings as well as the old. 51% of the population > visited a historic attraction last year compared with 50% > visiting the cinema and 17% attending a football match. More > than half say they are as interested in learning about other > people's cultures as their own. > > These are some of the findings of a MORI survey Attitudes to > the Heritage published today (Tuesday 26th September) > which reveals for the first time what "heritage" means to all > sectors of society. > > It includes the first ever national survey of the attitudes of > black and Asian communities to England's heritage and will be > used by English Heritage to define the action needed, from > the Government and heritage bodies amongst others, to make > the historic environment more relevant and accessible to more > people, and to identify priorities for future policies to preserve > and enhance these valuable and vulnerable assets. > > The research was commissioned by English Heritage as part of > a comprehensive review of government policies for the historic > environment. This report, which English Heritage has been > asked to lead on behalf of the entire historic environment > sector, will be presented to the Government at the end of > November. > > The review covers every aspect of the historic environment > from castles, monuments, stately homes and archaeological > sites to the inner cities, market towns and rural villages in > which we live, the buildings in which we work, our parks and > gardens and countryside. > > The review provides an unprecedented opportunity to focus > on attitudes toward heritage policy, to stimulate national > debate about the importance of the environment to quality of > life and, as a result, to create an integrated approach to > managing the historic environment for the next century. > > Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage, said: "We are > delighted by the overwhelming support for the historic > environment that this research reveals. There is a strong > feeling, perhaps a moral obligation people feel, that heritage > should be preserved to be passed on to future generations. > > "Most encouraging was to discover that, above all, people > think the heritage is important to education. 96% see it as a > means of providing both children and adults with an > understanding of their history and identity. This has serious > implications for the way England's history and geography are > taught in the national curriculum and for the access and > information provided by ourselves and other heritage bodies - > not just about nationally important attractions but also about > our everyday built environment. > > "The challenge for us in drawing up the Historic Environment > Review is to reflect this overwhelming support and interest in > visionary and practical proposals for future policy." > > Key points to emerge from the MORI survey are: > > 98% think the heritage is important to educate children > about the past and that all schoolchildren should be > given the opportunity to find out about England's > heritage; > 96% think the heritage is important to educate adults > about the past; > 95% think heritage is important for providing places to > visit and thing to see and do, for encouraging tourists > to visit, (93%), and for creating jobs and boosting the > economy, (88%); > 88% agree that it is right that there should be public > funding to preserve the heritage; > 76% disagree that we already preserve too much; > 76% agree that their lives are enriched by the heritage; > and > 46% think that Black and 45% think that Asian heritage > is not adequately represented. > > For some people, particularly from ethnic minority groups, > England's country houses and ancient monuments mean little. > They want more to be done to make England's historic > environment accessible to them through information, more > inclusive interpretation and education. It emerged from the > poll that everyone has a very personal view of what > represents their heritage, and that most people value both > nationally important attractions and key elements of their own > localities. > > Only 2% said they had no interest in the heritage whatsoever. > The 14% who had not visited any historic sites in the last > year cited lack of time and interest and feeling unwelcome. > The research pointed up a need to raise awareness of the role > of local streets and buildings as well as nationally important > buildings and monuments in creating a high quality > environment and promoting economic and social regeneration > in towns and cities and in the countryside. > > The poll indicates that the nation's assumed traditional dislike > of modern architecture no longer exists. Most people > disagreed with the statement that anything after 1950 does > not count as heritage and felt it important to preserve modern > buildings for future generations. Support for modern > architecture has undergone an astonishing 10 percentage > points rise to 76% since an English Heritage/MORI poll on this > subject three years ago. > > Today's poll shows that 51% of the population have made > special trips to historic palaces, houses, gardens, castles and > monuments in the last year. The figure rises to 58% if > museums are included. > > Professor Robert Worcester, Chairman of MORI, said: "While > the nation cares passionately for its heritage, 'the heritage' > as it is currently perceived seems to lack relevance to a > significant minority of the public, particularly those in ethnic > minority groups. It also faces keen competition from other > leisure interests which have multiplied as a result of the > beneficence of the Lottery. I am delighted that the Report on > the Historic Environment to be published in November will > advocate ways in which the heritage can become more > relevant, more useful, more accessible and provide a good > quality experience for all." > > The research was conducted in May-June 2000 and involved > four distinct approaches: > > * omnibus survey research among residents in England; > * a face to face quantitative survey of residents in > England; > * a series of three focus groups, among specifically > invited audiences drawn from ethnic minority groups; > * analysis of data contained in MORI's Socioconsult > Monitor. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%