The Industrial Heritage Support Officer (IHSO) project began in September 2012 and was run by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT) until 2026 when teh museums were taken over by the National Trust. The National Trust employs the IHSO officer through a grant from Historic England (HE) via their National Capacity Building Programme, with addtional financial support from the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA).
In addition to Historic England, and the AIA, the project steering group also includes Sir Neil Cossons, representatives from Arts Council England, Canal & River Trust, English Heritage, National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Trust, Science Museum Group, and Association for Independent Museums.
The IHSO project aims to:
- Support and Promote Best Practice Through Face-to-face Support and Digital Media
- Support & Run Industrial Heritage Support Networks (including new thematic networks)
- Support and Aid Strategic Leadership & Partnerships (including online seminars)
- Gather Data on the state/condition/resilience of the industrial sites & project impact
You can follow the IHSO project, and the Industrial Heritage Networks, online via these social media links: threads (ihso_england), Facebook (www.facebook.com/IHSOengland/), instagram (ihso_england), LinkedIn (Mike Nevell), and X/Twitter (@IHSOengland).
More information is available on the project’s website: IHSO
Industrial Heritage Networks 