Learning & Education

“We shape our buildings and they shape us.”
Winston Churchill

The Civic Trust believes in the power of the built environment to bring people and communities together. As individuals and communities develop the built environment to suit their particular needs, buildings can also create and unite communities. Sometimes places and spaces bring us together physically, as in the squares and greens of our cities and villages. Sometimes they bring us together in appreciation, when we admire the buildings that surround us, be they tiny historic gems or modern state-of-the-art grand designs. And sometimes they bring us together in argument, because buildings have the power to inspire strong feelings of both love and hate.

In order for buildings to bring people together, we need to be able to explore and understand them. That’s why, with thousands of properties of all types opening their doors free of charge each year, Heritage Open Days is such a vitally important event.

It particularly offers the opportunity for young people to develop an understanding and enthusiasm for their local built environment. We aim to inspire a new generation of citizens to be involved and to play an active role in promoting, preserving and celebrating their community’s environment.