The Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust (TWBPT) was established to preserve the architectural heritage of Tyne and Wear through the repair, conservation and regeneration of historic buildings. The Trust is funded from a number of sources which include: rent from Alderman Fenwick’s House and Buttress House; grants from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, other funds from grant-making trusts, local authorities, companies and donations from the public. The funds are used to acquire buildings and restore them. The buildings are then leased or sold and any surplus funds ploughed back into the Trusts’ capital fund which is used to finance further projects.
The Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust is an active BPT and its last major project (over £1 million), “The Close” was completed in 2012. It has recently completed three smaller projects: Dunston Staiths in Gateshead; Blackfell Hauler House part of the Bowes Railway in Gateshead; and the Old Low Light in North Shields. The Trust is primarily concerned with working on projects where it has a legal interest in the property and where the property is either sold or leased on completion.
Martin Hulse is a Project Manager working in regeneration with specialisms in heritage, sustainability and the implementation of public art. Martin has an excellent knowledge of the historic environment and is well known throughout the heritage sector in the North East of England. He has worked in the public, private and third sector and now focuses on the work of building preservation trusts. This requires an understanding of the role of local authorities, knowledge of the funding available to heritage schemes and the role of initiatives such as the Heritage at Risk Register. Alongside his work on heritage, Martin delivers public art commissions for clients including local authorities, health trusts and housebuilders. In both fields he bases his project management on the PRINCE 2 model, which he has modified to provide a simpler format for small scale projects.