Looking to the future
Published: 12 May 2019
Shetland Amenity Trust is looking to the future of Shetland’s natural and cultural heritage and the future work of the Trust itself. We are now asking for feedback from groups, organisations and individuals on what the priorities should be for the Trust in the coming years.
The Trust was established in 1983 with the objective of caring for and enhancing Shetland’s natural and cultural heritage and to enable people to engage with and enjoy it.
Ruth Mackenzie, Chair of the Shetland Amenity Trust said, “The Trust has been through a challenging period of change in recent years. As Trustees we are in the position to lead it into a new era. Working with a range of staff and partners we have now identified what we believe to be the key priorities for us in caring for Shetland’s heritage and supporting Shetland’s communities - both now and in the future.
Shetland faces the same challenges as any other community in the world. Climate change, biodiversity loss, demographic shifts and economic and social change do not respect national boundaries, ocean currents or personal ambitions.”
We have published a range of information on our website about the current status of our natural and cultural heritage in Shetland and the current work of the Trust. We have also published a document outlining what they believe should be the key priorities for the Trust in the future. Ruth continued, “we are keen to hear from a range of people in Shetland to find out what they think of these draft priorities and how we might work together to achieve them.”
The priorities identified include: stepping up to the challenge of biodiversity loss in Shetland; using innovative approaches to ensure our heritage is more resilient to the pressures it faces; encouraging well-being in our communities through engagement with our heritage; using our heritage to support more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable communities; and working with communities, organisations and partners to achieve this.
We are holding a public drop-in session at the Shetland Museum and Archives on Tuesday 21st May between 4pm and 6pm. Everyone is welcome to come along at any point during that time to meet with Trustees and Staff and discuss the priorities and help to shape the future of the Trust.
To find out more and to have your say see our website at www.shetlandamenity.org/strategic-plan. We are seeking feedback by Tuesday 28th May.
