A new technology platform, called HeritageXplore, has launched to promote the UK’s historic houses and make them more accessible to a new generation. The platform is the vision of Violet Manners who grew up in Belvoir Castle and is the former founder of marketing agency, Akana Collective, and also founder and executive producer of Duchess the podcast (now known as Hidden Heritage).

The online platform offers a discovery and booking experience and has launched with 25 of the UK’s independently-owned heritage sites including: Belvoir Castle; Glamis Castle; Holkham Hall; Sudeley Castle and Blenheim Palace. Violet identified that the visitor experience for privately owned properties is disaggregated and sought to unify it. As such, HeritageXplore intends to help, creating a one-stop shop where visitors can easily find and book new experiences and enhance their visits through the platform’s pioneering technology. For the houses themselves, as well as the bookings, they will gain customer insights, marketing support and access to partnerships in the UK and beyond.

HeritageXplore has raised a pre-seed round of £400,000 to take the platform to market and is backed by an experienced team of colleagues, advisors and investors. William Wildridge is CTO, having spent nearly a decade on the data science team at Google. The board includes technology industry veteran Simon Guild, advisors include Anya Hindmarch CBE and philanthropist Michael Huffington, while investors include Nick Hanauer (the first non-family investor in Amazon who founded and sold aQuantive to Microsoft for $6.4bn), BetterBrand founder Aimee Yang, NobleGrossart’s chairwoman Flure Grossart, US impact investor Dorie Smith and 5 Hertford Street founder Robin Birley. 

The business is also backed by many of the next-generation custodians of independent heritage across the UK – including the Marquess of Blandford at Blenheim Palace, George, Lord Porchester at Highclere Castle, Imogen Hervey Bathurst at Eastnor Castle and Hon. Perry Pearson at Cowdray Estate. 

Founder Violet Manners said: "We’re thrilled to be launching HeritageXplore, the first tech platform for independent historic houses to be discovered intuitively, collectively and booked with great ease in one place. There’s a huge and growing consumer appetite, especially among the tech-first generations, to experience these iconic locations but there’s been nowhere that brings them together – until now. We look forward to helping the houses maximise their full potential and using our cutting-edge technology to introduce generations of new visitors to these unique and special places."


Find out more at heritagexplore.com

Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) is welcoming applications from eligible craftspeople – including stonemasons and sculptors – who can apply for up to £18,000 in funding for Scholarships, up to £10,000 for Emerging Maker Grants and up to £12,000 for Apprenticeship training. Applications will close on Monday 12 August at 5pm. Ahead of this, there will also be three ‘How To Apply’ Zoom sessions to introduce interested makers to the different funding available, tips and advice for filling in an application and the opportunity for a Q&A:

How to Apply for a Scholarship
Wednesday 17 July, 1pm-2pm
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsd-qrrzorGdGHaxvXpQONtT7pMbefUG6B

How to Apply for an Emerging Maker Grant
Thursday 18 July, 1pm-2pm
Registration link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqcO2rqjwoGdCo9bt5qeEvax0i7eoorImu

How to Apply for an Apprenticeship
Monday 22 July, 1pm-2pm
Registration link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrc-GoqzoqGtCd7SHz8npxQ0Bi56ZHm9rc

To find out more, read the application guidelines and apply, visit: https://www.qest.org.uk/apply/
https://www.qest.org.uk/apply/


 

Tile and stone cleaning, sealing and aftercare products supplier, LTP is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Based in Somerset, it was founded by Anthony Robb in 1984 and today, the company now supply more than 700 stockists throughout the UK and Ireland and also export to countries including Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Ireland, Romania, Spain and the UAE. During the last three years, turnover has increased by over 300%.

The company's history dates back to the creation of Wellington Tile; a company founded by Anthony Robb to import terracotta from Portugal. Responding to the demand to give terracotta an antique finish, Anthony created a solution in his cement mixer, bottled it in one litre jerry cans and branded it LTP Oldtone Oil. The terracotta was sold as Lionheart Terracotta, so the sealer – and subsequent treatments - became known as Lionheart Terracotta Products, or LTP for short.  A few weeks later, he created a clear finish sealer called LTP Cleartone.

Today, production has moved to a specialist chemical packing company based in South West England – and the range now includes over 32 products formulated to seal, clean and maintain every type of natural and engineered tile and stone. In 2016, LTP also launched its ECOPROTEC brand – a range of products specially developed for the contract sector.

Its growing sale team is headed by Emma Lock while director, Mark Atkins – the first person responsible for LTP sales – now concentrates on research and development, marketing, export and expansion into other markets including white labelling and own branding formulas for other businesses.

“Over the past 40 years, the LTP range has been developed based on our first-hand experience of the tile trade and issues experienced by installers.  And, despite our rapid expansion, close ties with our customers are key; we remain a business that’s committed to offering a good after sales service and to developing products that customers need, rather than chemicals that we want to sell,” commented Richard Osborne, LTP’s managing director.

The business now offers a water-based equivalent alongside all its traditional sealers, with sales continuing to grow year-on-year.

“It’s taken some time but we’re now seeing an inexorable march away from spirit-based sealers,” explained Mark Atkins.  “Our own goal, over the next five years, is for 75% of our production to be of water-based, non-hydrocarbon formulations. The tile and stone industry still needs encouragement to support this strategy but the environmental benefits are irrefutable.”

Alongside the switch to water-based formulations, other LTP environmental initiatives include the development of new PFA-free stone and tile sealers (free from microplastics), a reduction in waste disposal throughout its production and reusing of pallets; the sourcing of cardboard packaging from FSC accredited suppliers and the use of bottles made from recycled materials.

“We’re dedicated to bringing along the next generation of LTP, through our apprenticeship scheme and recruitment.  We’ll also be growing our export network and manufacturing partnerships.  It’s been a fabulous journey to date and the future ahead, despite current economic challenges, looks very bright indeed,” Richard concluded.
 

An alliance in New Zealand, which includes New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, Construction Health and Safety New Zealand, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation and others has written an open letter calling on the government to introduce a ban on engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs.

The move follows the ban on engineered stone in Australia and was addressed to Brooke van Velden, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety of the ACT New Zealand party. Author of the letter, Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) president Richard Wagstaff wrote:

"Engineered stone is a very harmful product. The dust from cutting, grinding or drilling engineered stone can lead to the occupational disease silicosis, a scarring of the lungs. There is no safe exposure to this silica dust. Silicosis is a debilitating disease for which there is no cure. It can be fatal. Unions, public health experts and health and safety specialists have continued to warn you about the harm caused by this product, and that a ban is necessary. Everyone in New Zealand has the right to expect a safe workplace and to be able to come home safely to their family at the end of the day. You can give working people and their whānau, as well as businesses, consumers and the wider public, the certainty that working people’s health is the priority. Occupational disease is the biggest killer of workers in New Zealand. A ban will save lives."

Find out more at: https://union.org.nz/19-organisations-send-brooke-van-velden-open-letter-calling-for-engineered-stone-ban/

In its latest report, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has outlined its annual statistics concerning work-related fatal injuries. The findings, released on 3 July, reveal that 138 workers were killed in work-related accidents in 2023/24, It showed that 51 of those were from the construction sector and this accounts for the greatest number of workers killed in fatal accidents during that period. This figure had increased by 4 from the previous year.

Male workers across all sectors continue to be most likely to suffer fatal injuries equalling 95%. Fifty deaths between 2023/2024 involved falls from height.

Commenting on the latest HSE data, showing a rise in work-related deaths in Great Britain for the second consecutive year, Dr Julie Riggs, director of education and membership for the British Safety Council, said: "The rise in work-related fatalities, as reported by the Health and Safety Executive, serves as a stark reminder that we cannot become complacent about the health and safety of workers. Put simply, the consequences of poor health and safety are too great a price to pay.

"For 50 years, the general direction of travel has seen safer workplaces with falling numbers of workplace deaths and non-fatal injuries; that for a second year this trend has reversed is cause for concern. It sends a message that we need to prioritise worker health and safety, understand the causes of rising fatalities, and take targeted action to return to falling figures and safer workplaces for all."

To read the report in full, visit: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/fatalinjuries.pdf

Lovell Stone Group, which was founded by Simon and James Hart is celebrating its 15th anniversary. The original quarry in Purbeck, Dorset was acquired by the brothers in 2009 and today, the family business has grown and offers a wide range of iconic British Stone that has shaped towns and cities across the UK.

The group now incorporates six quarries across the South West and also works with other historic stones, such as Portland and Lincolnshire limestones. Forest of Dean Stone Firms joined the family in November 2020 and this year, the company is investing around £2m in a new paving factory that will transform its commercial paving operations.

James Hart, commercial director of Lovell Stone Group said: "Our growth and success are testament to the hard work and support of all our teams, many of whom have been with us since the start. We initially started with twenty employees and now employ nearly 100 people across all the businesses. And of course, we wouldn’t be where we are today without our customers; we’ve worked on some fantastic projects and have developed some long-term partnerships, which reflects our passion, experience and insight in the industry."

Simon Hart, managing director, who has pushed forward a substantial investment programme of new state-of-the-art machinery and infrastructure at all the sites, added: "Our passion is British Stone – we own and operate our quarries; from the extraction of the mineral to the processing of natural stone, we have an intricate understanding of the raw material. Our expertise allows us to supply beautiful products for a range of products, from restoration to  the contemporary. We are also committed to our responsibility as a sustainable and environmentally conscious business - we’ve invested in solar panels, water treatment systems and quarry restoration work. We are constantly looking to develop new products lines, minimise waste and are working to ensure the long-term sustainability of the quarries. We are really looking forward to the years ahead as we fly the flag for British Stone and all its benefits as a sustainable building material."

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has released a report recommending that Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to the ongoing impact of the A303 road scheme.

The report and its recommendation – which will be discussed at the Committee's 46th meeting in India from 21-31 July – has been welcomed by The Stonehenge Alliance (SA) who said in a recent statement: "The report reveals that National Highways and the UK Government have proposed changes to the scheme to try and disguise the deep cutting through the Bronze Age landscape on the western side of the site. These include ‘cantilevered sides’ and another ‘green bridge’ adding £50m to the scheme costs. However, these do not appear to have addressed UNESCO’s concerns. Also revealed is the level of frustration with the UK Government’s attitude towards its obligations under the World Heritage Convention. Also, with its failure to respect UNESCO’s request to pause all work to allow further discussion. This was seen earlier in the year when National Highways pressed ahead with closure of the A360 (to much local concern) to carry out preparatory works for the scheme. All eyes will now be on the incoming (most likely) Labour Government as it will inherit the scheme and will have to decide on its future."

Tom Holland, president of the Stonehenge Alliance said: “When in a hole, stop digging – and when the hole is one that has been dug by your political opponents, definitely stop digging. The new Government will have the perfect opportunity to reverse a road scheme that is not only ludicrously expensive, but risks huge damage to the country’s international reputation. We hope that whoever comes to power next week will seize it.”