BEFS is delighted to announce BEFS – Fit for the Future, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to Spring 2025. This award of £96,880 will enable BEFS to best meet sector need now and for the future, allowing the organisation to enhance their climate support, and EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) offer to the sector; as well as provide internal training and capacity to examine and develop their own robust business model.
This award comes at a critical time for the sector: with economic and climate crises providing challenges to all, and within an environment of complex policy making – and increasingly difficult decision taking. BEFS holds space for those conversations, facilitates solution finding, and provides additional sector capacity with support for collaborative policy making and advocacy.
BEFS Trustees stated:
"In our 20th year, we’re grateful to the Lottery for understanding the value of this project to the sector. BEFS are excited to be able to build on our 20 years of expertise supporting the sector’s strategic aims, pleased to bring new capacity to the organisation, and look forward to enhancing our resilience for the future."
Caroline Clark, Director for Scotland, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
"One of four key investment principles in our Heritage 2033, 10-year strategy is to support organisations to develop the skills and capacity to ensure a long-term future and encourage new heritage investment that benefits communities and economies. With Fit for the Future BEFS aims to do that.
Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are pleased to support BEFS to develop, adapt and transform their services to best meet the needs of the built environment sector today and prepare for the challenges of the future."
BEFS core funding is currently from the Organisational Support Fund, from Historic Environment Scotland.
Susan O’Connor Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland said:
"We are delighted to see BEFS embrace the opportunity to redefine itself in the post-Covid landscape. For 20 years, the organisation has played a strong leadership role in representing heritage sector organisations, making sure their voices and concerns are heard by key decision makers. We are keen to hear what comes out of this review process and we look forward to supporting wherever we can."
Find out more about Built Environment Forum Scotland at https://www.befs.org.uk/
