National charity English Heritage has proposed cutting at least 189 staff roles as it reports a range of financial challenges.
The charity said in a recent statement that the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath as well as the cost-of-living crisis had “led to lasting changes in visitor expectations and behaviour”.
It said high inflation had increased the cost of conservation work at the charities’ more than 400 sites, with £25.1m spent on maintenance last year and “significant and ongoing expenditure” required to prevent deterioration.
English Heritage also said that since splitting from the government in 2015 it no longer receives regular funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to care for its National Heritage Collection.
“Like many organisations, we are operating in a challenging environment and the aim of these proposals is to ensure that English Heritage is financially resilient and can fulfil our charitable purposes,” it said.
“Our proposals would see an estimated net reduction of at least 7% (189) in our current workforce of 2,535 employees.
“We’re committed to working with our employees and our trade unions to find ways to avoid and reduce redundancies where we can.”
Site closures
Under the proposals, the charity said it would continue to have a team of more than 75 expert curators, historians and conservators.
“The proposals give us the opportunity to gather together all those experts into a single centre within the charity and a more joined-up way of working will mean we are better able to look after and understand the great sites in our care and better able to share their stories with everyone,” it said.
The charity said it planned to reduce opening hours at around 43 sites, with 21 closing over winter.
“We have started to consult with our staff and our unions on these proposals and nothing will be confirmed until after this formal consultation period,” the charity said.
According to the charity’s accounts for the year to March 2024, it is not on track to meet its target of 1.39 million members by the end of this financial year.
The accounts say fundraising from donors, grants and trusts “will play an increasingly vital role”, with the charity also introducing English Heritage-branded homeware products to raise funds.
English Heritage, which has recorded a deficit for the last three financial years, had an income of £141m in 2023-24.
The charity recently turned down a record £11m donation from a charity formerly named the Hamish Ogston Foundation, after allegations were reported about its founder.
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