Who cares for heritage in your community? We are not alone in caring about our county. There are so many individuals, community groups, and organisations that champion what makes Suffolk special. And we want to celebrate them.
It is so important to recognise and acknowledge the time, energy, effort and money that goes into caring for our historic buildings and places, and our Heritage Champion Awards do just that.
In 2027, our awards have eight categories. We are now encouraging nominations for our 2027 Heritage Champion Awards. If you know of an individual, community group or organisation that is doing great work in caring for our county’s heritage, please get in touch by emailing sps@suffolksociety.org or by calling 01787 247 179.
We’d love to hear from you.
Building Conservation Project
Do you know of a local historic building that has been conserved, with a sensitive and considered approach? This could be an ancient chapel now watertight with a carefully replaced roof, an historic house revived through gentle restoration, a former industrial building that has found relevance once again through reuse for domestic, commercial, or community purposes, or even your own historic home that you have restored.
Community Project
Is your community involved in a heritage project? Are you working together to improve the historic buildings and landscapes of your town or village? Are you restoring a local building, clearing overgrown woodlands, or developing a meaningful neighbourhood plan? Are you encouraging biodiversity with a new planting project, or preserving your night skies by campaigning together to protect them?
Best Heritage Experience
Is there a site in Suffolk that delivers a consistently excellent visitor experience? It could be a volunteer-run independent attraction, or a major museum or historic house. Is there somewhere that always gives a great welcome, has interesting activities, and puts the visitor at its heart.
Innovation Award
Heritage is constantly evolving – both to stay relevant and to remain sustainable. Is there a project, person, team, or organisation that has done or is doing something new and original? This could be a new tech solution to engage with the public, a learning programme to encourage new audiences, or a conservation project using a new approach to the care of historic buildings.
Volunteer of the Year award
Do you know someone who works tirelessly to champion heritage? They could be a longstanding volunteer for a particular attraction or heritage site – an archivist meticulously cataloguing a collection, a historian diligently researching a particular subject area to enable better understanding, a guide engaging the public with stories of the past. Or perhaps a member of your community who is campaigning to save a particular building or landscape at risk? Or an individual who is leading a fundraising drive to support a heritage cause?
Heritage Craft
Throughout Suffolk there are individuals and organisations working in unique fields that support the care and conservation of our historic buildings and landscapes. Do you know a thatcher who is continuing to ensure that our historic cottages keep their roofs on? A pargetter creating contemporary versions of this ancient craft? A pollarder maintaining historic woodlands, or anyone who is sustaining the artisan skills across our county?
New Building
While the Suffolk Preservation Society seeks to preserve historic structures, we also celebrate new buildings that strive for quality and sustainability. Are you a builder who has delivered some exceptional housing, an architect who has designed an exciting new development, or a property owner who has commissioned a home or commercial building that makes a positive impact on the landscape?
Heritage Champion 2027
The Heritage Champion recognises an individual, community group, charity, or commercial organisation that has made an exceptional contribution to Suffolk’s heritage. The Suffolk Preservation Society looks at all of the nominations in the above categories, and selects a single winner for this award.
