Â£29,000 lottery cash windfall for guardians of Derbyshire's historic buildings

The former Thermal Baths in Buxton, now a shopping arcade, was restored with help from the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust.

An organisation responsible for rescuing dozens of historic Derbyshire buildings has celebrated being awarded Â£29,000 to help reinvent itself.

Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust will use the Heritage Lottery Fund grant towards a detailed study looking at how it can become more effective in today’s economic circumstances and save more historic buildings at risk of dereliction or demolition.

Since it was formed in 1975, the trust has rescued dozens of historic structures across the county.

Robin Wood, chairman of the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust, said: “We are thrilled to receive the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and are confident the study will enable the trust to start a new chapter, reinventing itself to operate more effectively in the 21st century.”

Derby City Council councillor Robin Wood

The study will look into how the trust can modify its operation and strengthen its governance in order to enable it to organise projects and apply for funding to save more at-risk buildings in the county.

It will also consider how it can more effectively engage with local communities and offer opportunities for training in the fields of building conservation crafts, architectural conservation, research and community action.

For more details on the trust, including a list of the Derbyshire projects it has been involved in, visit www.derbyshirehistoricbuildings.org.uk.