Aim 04

Enhance the social wellbeing of the DVMWHS communities and maximise the benefits of the site’s cultural value at a local, regional, national and international level.

Context

World Heritage status should contribute to a sense of local pride in living and working in a special place, with a beautiful landscape setting and a rich heritage. The stories of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site have present day relevancy, as the communities developed by the valley’s textile pioneers were sustainable and low-carbon, despite rapid growth.   

The DVMWHS Great Place Scheme, jointly funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, is a £1.4m programme of projects running until December 2020. Its over-arching purpose is to connect people with the DVMWHS by celebrating its heritage through arts, and strengthening the networks between art, culture and heritage. These networks and their activities will assist communities – both locally and internationally – to engage with the DVMWHS and its stories. During the lifetime of the Management Plan, there are opportunities within the DVMWHS Great Place Scheme to use the arts to assist the DVMWHS communities to better understand and appreciate the Outstanding Universal Value of the DVMWHS.

The World Heritage Site provides tangible links to the past. Activities such as Discovery Days provide an opportunity for local people to interact with their heritage and appreciate the benefits it brings to their lives.

Objectives and Actions for 2020-25

A presentation at 28 Market Place, Belper

Obj 4.1

Build a sense of pride in and belonging to the DVMWHS through promoting local understanding of what makes it special.

ACT 4.1.1
Promote the Outstanding Universal Value of the DVMWHS to its communities, to establish a better local understanding of its special qualities.

ACT 4.1.2
Work with heritage sites and attractions in the DVMWHS to engage local communities.

ACT 4.1.3
Support groups and communities within the DVMWHS through networking, social media and communications.

ACT 4.1.4
Facilitate annual opportunities for groups within the DVMWHS to share knowledge, engage with the Management Plan and coordinate actions. This will primarily be done through the DVMWHS Partnership Forum.

Cyclists pass Strutt’s North Mill

Obj 4.2

Identify and communicate the benefits that World Heritage Site status brings to communities and local groups.

ACT 4.2.1
Work with partners to identify and collect evidence on the benefits to local communities of the DVMWHS as part of the delivery of the Great Place Scheme.

ACT 4.2.2
Work with national and international forums, where relevant, to capture the value of World Heritage to local communities.

ACT 4.2.3
Monitor and, where appropriate, contribute to research which furthers our understanding of the positive effects of engagement with cultural heritage on health and well-being.

ACT 4.2.4
Work collaboratively to engage businesses, local councils, funding bodies and other non-governmental organisations with the value of the DVMWHS to local communities.

ACT 4.2.5
Disseminate to communities, local groups and partners information on the benefits of World Heritage.

Milford Weirs

Obj 4.3

Improve understanding of the Cotton Mill owners’ innovative use of natural and local resources to develop sustainable communities along the Derwent Valley, including the rivers for water power and the land for development of model farms. Protecting key assets, promoting its unique character. See also Objective 3.11.

ACT 4.3.1
Encourage the DVMWHS communities in investigating how the model of low-carbon, water powered factories of the Derwent Valley can contribute to studies of environmental sustainability.

ACT 4.3.2
Promote within national and international discussions on climate change the lessons to be learnt from the industrial communities in the Derwent Valley; that they have continued to utilise renewable water as a primary source of clean energy for over 200 years since the start of the industrial revolution whilst other regions moved to fossil fuel based power sources; and innovative but (by today’s standards) low-impact local food production and supply systems were developed to feed growing communities.

ACT 4.3.3
Support the best possible stewardship of the landscape within the Derwent Valley, to support this work and establish the best possible outcomes for the communities within the valley.

Obj 4.4

Promote to the DVMWHS communities the opportunities to engage with the presentation, promotion and stewardship of their World Heritage Site.

ACT 4.4.1
Promote to everyone who lives, works, plays in or visits the DVMWHS communities an understanding of how they can support the DVMWHS.