New Trustees announced for the National Heritage Memorial Fund

Appointed by the Prime Minister, they will have responsibility for the NHMF and the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) UK-wide Board, a role that brings with it responsibility for the Fund’s work across the whole for the UK.

Both new trustees will bring their considerable experience to NHMF/HLF’s Board which oversees funding strategy and takes decisions on grants over £1million. Since its formation, HLF has invested over £4.5bn into over 30,000 projects across the country.

Mr Dan Clayton Jones has also been re-appointed for a further six months as the Trustee for Wales, and Deputy Chairman of the UK-wide Board of Trustees.

Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of NHMF and HLF, said: “We’re delighted to welcome both Professor Richard Morris and Atul Patel as Trustees for NHMF and HLF. They each bring considerable experience, knowledge and passion to a Board who are passionate about helping conserve and share the UK’s rich heritage for the benefit of modern community life. Their expertise widely reflects and complements the range of heritage applications that we receive.”

Richard Morris is Professor of Conflict and Culture at the University of Huddersfield. In parallel, he works as a freelance writer, with a particular emphasis on aviation history. He was Director of the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) from 1991 to 1999, having earlier worked as a university teacher and Research Officer for the CBA. His interest in churches, settlement, historical topography, cultural history and aviation are reflected in essays articles and books and this passion will translate in his decision making role at HLF. He is also Chairman of The Blackden Trust, and a former Trustee of the National Coal Mining Museum for England.

From 1995-1998 Atul Patel was Director of Regulation at The Housing Corporation and is an independent member of the Ealing Council Housing Forum. He was Deputy Director at the Cabinet Office Social Exclusion Unit from 1998-2001, and was also a Member of the Independent Selection Panel for Leicestershire Police Authority from 1998-2002.  He was appointed the Chairman of the Race Equality Advisory Group at the Department for Communities and Local Government from 2001-2005, overlapping with his role as a Board and Planning Committee Member at the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (2004-2009). He then held Chief Executive roles at ASRA Greater London Housing Assoc, and LHA-ASRA Group, until retiring in 2010.

Dan Clayton Jones is a Director of Cord Investments Ltd and J.J. & F Property Holdings Ltd. A life-long supporter of the heritage in Wales, he was Secretary of the Historic Houses Association in Wales for 12 years and is a founding Life Member of the Historic Gardens Trust. He has been the Vice-Chairman of the National Trust in Wales and was the first Chairman of the National Botanic Garden of Wales. In the last three years he has chaired Hendreff Building Preservation Trust, Cowbridge Physic Garden Trust and is the Chancellor and Knight of the Order of St John in Wales. Since 1999 he has held the appointment of Hon. Consul for Canada in Wales and was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan in 2001. He was also Chairman of ‘Prime Cymru’, one of the Prince of Wales Group of Charities until 2008.

Professor Richard Morris and Atul Patel join the Chair of NHMF/HLF, Dame Jenny Abramsky and existing Board members: Dan Clayton-Jones; Kim Evans OBE; Yinnon Ezra MBE; Kathy Gee; Doug Hulyer; Hilary Lade; Alison McLean OBE; Seona Reid CBE; Ronald Spence; Virginia Tandy OBE; Richard Wilkin MBE and Christopher Woodward.

Notes to editors

The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) is the fund of last resort for the nation’s heritage, coming to the rescue by funding emergency acquisitions. In 1994, the NHMF Trustees were also given the major task of distributing the heritage share of Lottery money for good causes, which it now operates through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). This Fund was set up by Parliament in 1994 to give grants to a wide range of projects involving the local, regional and national heritage of the United Kingdom. HLF enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about the UK’s diverse heritage.  HLF funds the entire spread of heritage, including buildings, museums, natural heritage and the heritage of cultural traditions and language.

HLF has supported more than 30,000 projects, allocating over £4.5billion across the UK.

NHMF has safeguarded a diverse range of over 1,200 iconic objects and places to the tune of over £300million.

Further information

Please contact Laura Bates or Alison Scott, HLF press office on 020 7591 6027 / 6032.