Suffolk has a wealth of historic buildings that reflect its rich heritage. The county has over 13,000 Listed buildings, and the craft skills needed to sustain them are increasingly at risk.
The Red List of Endangered Crafts identifies 165 traditional crafts that are in danger of extinction. In Suffolk alone, the important building skills of brickmaking, flint-knapping and pargetting all feature on this list. Yet they are not at risk because they are not needed. They are endangered because of an ageing workforce, a lack of training opportunities, and an uncertain economic climate.
At the Suffolk Preservation Society, we are addressing this urgent problem. Through partnering with Heritage Crafts, we are delivering grants of up to £2500 to endangered crafts practitioners in Suffolk. Ringfenced to the county alone, our grants are designed to assist individuals in overcoming obstacles to long-term financial sustainability. They could support new equipment, additional training, or tech provision to enable better business practice. We actively encourage Suffolk-based craft practitioners to apply. The deadline for 2026 applications has now passed although please subscribe for our e-newsletter via the footer on our website to be updated on our next round of funding.
In addition to our grants, makers are supported by our staff to develop their ideas, identify targets and – through ongoing monitoring – to assess both short and longer-term impacts. Each project typically lasts between six and twelve months. In partnership with Heritage Crafts, we monitor the projects and continue an enduring relationship with each craftsperson, not only for evaluation and publicity, but also to provide continuing support.
