The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity will be visiting construction sites across the UK and Ireland in 2024 as part of its #MakeItVisible tour aiming to deliver wellbeing support – and companies in the industry can request a free visit via its website.

All members of the Make it Visible team are ‘on the tools’ and share their own experiences in an informal way while informing workers of the support available to them and their families. The ‘Toolbox Talk’ allows everyone on site to share their first-hand life experiences and focus on the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing. There is also a dedicated, private space for confidential conversations.

Participants will receive a Make it Visible goody bag containing information on the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity's services and some free gifts – there will also be an opportunity to enter a draw to win a prize valued at £400.

The first tour begins in Scotland on 5 February and finishes in the North East on 19 July with many more regions covered in between.

To request a visit, see the Lighthouse Charity's website.

Falls from height were the cause of most work-related fatalities in Britain during 2022/23, according to the latest figures from the Health & Safety Executive, with 40 workers killed in falls from height last year. 
To reduce injuries and fatalities employers can now use HSE’s latest guidance to ensure they take the necessary precautions to protect employees. 

HSE’s website also has a range of useful information and sources of advice for employers, including key messages to follow before working from height and some common work-at-height myths. 

There are also useful resources available, including relevant publications which are free to download, including: Introduction to working at height; common work at height myths; working at height - the law 
plus links to websites with advice on safe working at height.

For more information, visit hse.gov.uk

Sean Adcock, a Dry Stone Walling Association Master Craftsman has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to dry stone walling. Adcock is the six-time North Wales Professional Champion in dry stone walling and has taught students across the world, undertaken large-scale projects (including a temple in California) in addition to writing a number of books and producing technical guides on the subject.

The Caernarfon-based waller told the Rhyll, Prestatyn and Abergele Journal: "My partner had seen the envelope and was urging me to open it – I was more interested in the DIY parcels that had arrived; I didn't even notice 'The Cabinet Office' on the envelope, and probably wouldn't have twigged even if I had!  I'm certain there are others in the area more deserving than myself but haven't been fortunate enough to have been nominated in the first place."

Adcock who earned a degree in Modern History and Politics in the 1980s, has been a waller for 35 years after initially taking a year off after university to join a conservation volunteer project. 

A commemorative plaque to honour the life and marriage of Charles Ignatius Sancho – the black abolitionist – has been unveiled during a ceremony at St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey conducted by the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle –  Dean of Westminster. The actor and author Paterson Joseph who wrote The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho was also present and read a letter by Sancho.

London-based sculptor and carver Marcia Bennett Male created the Portland stone memorial in her studio in Woolwich. It also pays tribute to his wife, Ann Osborne and features the quote: "use your endeavour to be a good man and leave the rest to God."

Sancho was born on a slave ship in 1729 and, at two years old was taken to a house in Greenwich where he lived until 1749. It was during this time he met John Montagu – the 2nd Duke of Montagu who would later employ him and help Sancho further his education in the Arts. 

During his life, Sancho worked tirelessly for the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade and is believed to be the first man of African descent thought to have voted in a British election. He married his wife, Ann Osborne in St Margaret's Church in 1758 – the couples eight children were also baptised there and, following his death in 1780, he was buried in the churchyard there.

On the memorial, Marcia said: "Sometimes an engraving commission can become just another job if you’re not careful. You focus on the letters, the spacing and the depth. You can forget that there’s a person ‘behind’ it. I got into that mindset with the Sancho plaque until I reached a certain point towards the end when the realisation of the deep history regarding the people and the plaques eventual siting came back to me. Very moving."

St. Paul’s Cathedral was announced as the newest member of the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship (CWF).  It joins twelve other institutions to be part of the Fellowship including Canterbury, Chester, Durham, Exeter, Gloucester, Lichfield, Lincoln, Salisbury, Westminster Abbey, Winchester, Worcester and York Minster.

During a visit to the London landmark, Clare Howcutt-Kelly of Stone Specialist talked to Rebecca Thompson – who became director of property at St Paul's in 2023 – about her plans to establish a new workshop facility in order to preserve heritage skills and encourage a more diverse team. 

On CWF's website, Frances Cambrook, the executive director of CWF said: “We are thrilled to welcome St. Paul’s Cathedral as our newest member. This collaboration exemplifies a joint commitment to sustainable conservation and the preservation of essential craft skills, ensuring the longevity of our architectural heritage. Both organisations are privileged to be working together and we can only strengthen the commitment to craft training and architectural conservation in our shared vision.”

Stonemasonry company stoneCIRCLE has completed its fourth project with artist Susanna Heron. The work called Esquina (which means outside corner in Spanish and Portuguese) is situated in the extension to Furness Lodge, Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

The work is roughly 2300mm long by 1700mm high and is made from Ancaster Hard White, a British limestone from Lincolnshire in 100mm thick blocks with the base stones in Cadeby, another British limestone. Susanna oversaw all stages of the project and the team worked with her 2D file with a list of depths that the stone has to be cut to. The work was then carved on the Omag machine before being taken to have the sharp corners chiselled by hand before being installed by stoneCIRCLE.

Susanna was commissioned to make the work by Emmanuel College, and worked with Stanton Williams, the site architects for the new college buildings to select a location for the work. She chose the external corner of the lodge as the sun traverses the area catching both faces, allowing her to create a shallow relief providing a light sensitive surface that is continually changing. This is one in a series of drawings carved in stone in negative relief that Susanna has been creating for over 30 years, and she is fascinated by the interplay of light and shadow, especially when making a site specific work. The contractor for the project was Gilbert Ash.

Steve Vanhinsbergh, director of stoneCIRCLE said: “We enjoy doing Susanna’s work because it’s unique, and we work very closely with her; she is very involved with the team.”  

Learn more about the project by watching this video by Ross Harrison.

Robertson Granite, the specialist memorial masons established in 1876 has announced it has taken over Sam Jacob Memorials in Gainsborough. This is the latest acquisition for Robertson Granite which already operates twenty outlets in Scotland and a further 10 in England.

In addition, it owns a substantial manufacturing facility where craftsmen take time to make, polish, carve and letter memorials using a combination of modern machinery and traditional hand crafts.

Twelve UK towns and cities are to benefit from a new £5 million fund to help communities restore their disused and at-risk historic buildings. This funding includes support for organisations in Medway, where a Grade II-listed former hospital mortuary will be turned into a new community space, Derry/Londonderry where work is focused on restoring a number of heritage buildings within Derry/Londonderry’s historic walled city and Glasgow where work will focus on revitalising the city’s rich heritage.

Funds are being awarded as part of a new partnership between the National Lottery Heritage Fund and charity the Architectural Heritage Fund, to expand the Architectural Heritage Fund’s Heritage Development Trust model across the UK following the success of a pilot programme in England.

The programme has already supported seven Heritage Development Trusts to repair, restore and reuse at-risk buildings in their local areas, including not-for-profit Valley Heritage in Bacup, Lancashire. Last year, Valley Heritage restored an empty Victorian bank building into a new co-working space and housing for homeless young people. Meanwhile in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust has transformed a row of Georgian merchants’ houses once threatened with demolition into a music venue, coffee shop and bar.

The 12 new Heritage Development Trusts will also operate in areas such as Leicester, Luton and Haverfordwest, and they will each funding of between £55,000 and £70,000 a year to acquire and redevelop a pipeline of local historic buildings. The trusts can also apply for grants to support early project development, and will be given guidance from consultants and mentors to develop their skills and knowledge alongside peer-to-peer support to expand their network of contacts.

Matthew Mckeague, chief executive of the Architectural Heritage Fund, said: “Heritage has a lot to offer the future of the UK’s places and people. Bringing old buildings back into productive use will protect our country’s rich architectural past while creating important new homes, workplaces and community and cultural venues. We’ve already seen the many benefits this work can bring to communities across the country, including through the success of our first Heritage Development Trusts across England.

“Our partnership with The National Lottery Heritage Fund is an important commitment to continuing this work in 12 more areas of the UK by giving more people the funding they need to work together to save and restore their most historic and at-risk local buildings. We’re very grateful to The Heritage Fund for this partnership, and to National Lottery players for making it possible.”

Eilish McGuinness, chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “As the UK’s largest funder of heritage, we collaborate with organisations which share our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.

“I am delighted that our £5 million grant funding is supporting the expansion of the Heritage Development Trust programme across the UK – stretching from Medway to Glasgow. This partnership with the Architectural Heritage Fund  is supporting communities, charities and heritage groups in 12 towns and cities, to develop plans for the transformation of at-risk historic buildings – boosting pride in place, connection to the past and investing in the future."