NI Heritage Delivers 2026 published

‘NI Heritage Delivers 2026’, features case studies and statistics on how heritage benefits Northern Ireland. This important publication, produced with the assistance of the Historic Environment Division within the Department for Communities, sets out the impact and contribution that heritage can make to Northern Ireland.

Margaret Henry, Chair of the HE Stakeholder Data Sub Group said:

‘This document is the result of close partnership across the heritage sector to show the enormous impact and potential that the historic environment has for Northern Ireland. Our group identified four key areas where heritage makes a difference: the economy and society; the road to net zero; health and wellbeing; and education and skills. Across all of these areas, heritage has an important role to play. We concluded that our heritage assets are not just nice to have, but can be, and are, integral to efforts to revitalise our places, attract investment and retain population,  deal with the housing crisis, mitigate climate change, improve health and wellbeing and contribute to educational outcomes. However, we also saw that over the last 20 years, the overall condition of our heritage has declined and that, relative to other places, a higher proportion appears to have already been lost. As a society we need to improve how we value and invest in this important resource, if we are to realise its full potential.’

NI Heritage Delivers 2026, builds on a similar previous exercise, published in 2020 as ‘NI Heritage Statistics at 31 March 2019’ and on ‘Treasure the Past, Enrich the Future’ published by the group in 2018. In all three documents a common theme emerges – Northern Ireland’s historic environment has enormous latent potential to contribute to its society, economy, and environment.

You can download the document here: NI HERITAGE DELIVERS 2026 CASE STUDIES AND STATISTICS ON HOW HERITAGE BENEFITS NORTHERN IRELAND | Heritage Delivers