The Industrial Heritage Support Officer Role, which is managed by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, has secured funding to enable it to continue its work in preserving England’s industrial heritage.

The funding applies to the year April 25 to March 26 and aims to support around 600 sites in England.

The project is managed by IHSO Officer, Mike Nevell, and aims to develop partnerships and promote partnership working through England’s Industrial Heritage Networks.

At the end of March the first round of Industrial Heritage Network meetings for 2025 will take place online, and on 25 April, Mike will be talking at an event hosted in Coalbrookdale, organised by the Boiler and Engineering Skills Training Trust, about the need for trained engineers to run industrial heritage sites.

Projects in 2025 and 2026 are expected to include a major report on the industrial heritage sector in England, more online training seminars and the continuation of the Industrial Heritage Networks.

“We are delighted that our partners at Historic England and the Association for Industrial Archaeology have agreed to fund the Industrial Heritage Support Officer post, based at Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, in 2025/26. This role is vital for the support of the wider Industrial Heritage sector and it is a mark of the importance of IGMT as a leading Industrial Heritage organisation. At a time of increased cuts to heritage organisations, and rising costs, this role has never been more relevant.”

Nick Booth, Collections and Learning Director at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust