English Heritage Casting Off Fund Raising Constraints

Receiving a one off payment of £80 million from the government is helping to pave the way for English Heritage (EH) to become a charity on a self financing basis.  Although EH will remain in public ownership, the new charity, which will be set up in 2015,  will have more  freedom to generate greater commercial and philanthropic income to safeguard and present to the public what is arguably England's most vulnerable and important collection of cultural treasures.

It will retain the name, and the long term aim is for it to become financially self sufficient, no longer needing tax payer support.

English Heritage was set up in 1983, under the terms of the National Heritage Act of that year. Its functions for maintaining ancient monuments had previously been undertaken by part of the  Department of the Environment which was the successor to the Ministry of Works.

English Heritage is the guardian of over 400 sites and monuments, the most famous of which include Dover Castle, Iron Bridge and Stonehenge. Whilst many have an entry charge, more than 250 properties are free to enter.

Unlike the National Trust,  English Heritage holds few furnished properties. New sites are rarely added to the collection as other charities and institutions are now encouraged to care for them and open them to the public.

                 http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/80million-boost-heritage/