66 THE BUILDING CONSERVATION DIRECTORY 2025 CATHEDRAL COMMUNICATIONS of necessity. It is important to note that offering aid, advice or assistance to a group in a hostile or dangerous place is typically pro bono. One has to have a certain level of commitment to the philosophy of conservation to perform a service which is much more likely to simply cost money and time than result in any profitable outcome of a monetary value. The second such series of questions that need to be asked are: – what service or aid can I offer or provide? – does it require me to physically travel somewhere to be of assistance or can I do it remotely? Most help and assistance heritage professionals in the UK can offer, can all be supplied digitally or by video call. It cannot be overstated how helpful just reaching out and sharing information can be to people in areas where skilled practitioners have fled, been conscripted into the army or been lost entirely. A town planner or conservation officer hosting a virtual conference with a local town council overseeing a world heritage site at a time of war, for instance, could be of immeasurable use for reassuring local officials they are on the right track and help guide them with their strategic planning. An engineer or surveyor sharing literature or advice regarding mothballing or short-term protection to a bombdamaged building could be the difference between the structure surviving the conflict or becoming irreparably damaged. PROCESS Having answered the initial questions outlined above and having reached the decision that, as a company or individual, you would like to share your expertise or services in a specific area or on a specific project, then we recommend the following flowchart to follow your goal through to its end; identify→ prepare→ record→ act (on-site)→ complete deliverables→ archive/share. Note: every effort should be made at the outset of any project to form an experienced and trusted team and not to travel alone unless absolutely necessary. It can be a stressful, intense experience and one that benefits greatly from shared responsibility both pre-trip and during the project. Identify Identifying the right people or places to help is a challenge. Many NGOs, charities and government agencies create international registers of heritage at risk or of vulnerable buildings: Unesco, ICROM and ICOMOS to name a few. These registers can often be useful springboards, though they naturally focus on sites of national or transnational significance and overlook many historic sites or areas which are equally at risk and of great cultural importance locally or regionally. Keeping up with publications, events and international affairs is also vitally important. Authors and industry professionals are far more accessible than they have been historically thanks to social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. They are often happy to connect and discuss their work. If in doubt the best approach to take is often the most direct one. There is no need to feel embarrassed about being rebuffed or not receiving a response; there may be a language barrier to overcome and/or your email or communication is just not a priority for them at the time. Having a clear and relevant portfolio of previous and current projects to outline your services and intentions is advised. Planning, planning and more planning Once contact has been made, and a project or issue requiring assistance identified, the question should again be asked, ‘Can I provide useful aid or assistance remotely?’ As noted, it is often the case that the answer is ‘Yes, you can!’ Travelling to a hostile environment such as Ukraine or Lebanon (at the time of writing this article) should be a last resort. If you offer a manual, tactile service, such as a stonemason, can you host an online workshop showing how to undertake a particular type of repair? If you are an architect and require dimensional information, can you organise someone on site to collect the necessary measurements? If, however, you are required to attend site in person and you are committed to this course of action, there are various steps you can take to mitigate and minimise potential risks. The most important of these steps is to take a Hostile Environment Training course (HET). There are various providers who offer this service and we are lucky in the UK that we are home to some of the best in the world. These companies are typically used by humanitarian workers An historic building with significant water ingress following a hurricane in a remote and hard to reach area, Gulf of Mexico, 2024 (Photo: Nathan Betcher, National Park Service, USA)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzI0Mzk=