Crichton Trust's "Regenerative Greenspace" project receives OSC funding

The Crichton Trust has secured a significant milestone in its journey toward sustainability and innovation, receiving an Open Societal Challenges (OSC) funding grant for its project on "Developing a Framework for a Tool to Measure Progress Towards Regenerative and Heritage Greenspace". This prestigious funding will enable the Trust to spearhead transformative research into the integration of community well-being, biodiversity, and greenspace management for sustainability.

The Crichton Trust, a heritage charity and innovative social enterprise based in Dumfries in Southwest Scotland, manages the former Crichton Royal institution estate. This expansive Victorian asylum site with 85 acres of green spaces and 27 buildings, 22 of which are listed, now thrives as a hub for academia, business, and cultural activity. The estate is home to three universities, 160+ small and medium-sized enterprises, and 85 acres of parkland enjoyed by residents, tourists, students and the wider community. The Trust contributes significantly to the economy of southern Scotland, the combined impact of the estate accounts for over 2.5% of the region's economic activity.

Jennifer Challinor, Head of Research and Development at The Crichton Trust hailed the OSC grant as a "really exciting opportunity" emphasising its alignment with the Trust’s vision for innovation, and their focus on the wellbeing of people, place and the planet.

Tackling key challenges through innovation

The awarded project addresses a pressing question: How can large heritage estates balance the often-competing priorities of achieving net-zero carbon emissions, enhancing community well-being, whilst protecting biodiversity, and preserving its heritage? Recognising the challenges they face of developing a route map towards Net Zero, The Crichton Trust and Open University (OU) team aim to create a comprehensive framework to support their staff team and other heritage estate managers to develop a greenspace management plan that balances biodiversity, community wellbeing and the economics of maintaining the estates green spaces. The project will be conducted in collaboration with The Open University's interdisciplinary research team, featuring experts in co-design, regenerative design, environmental sciences, and smart city technologies. Together, they will develop two key deliverables; A Shared Definition of "Regenerative Greenspace": Workshops will bring together stakeholders from various heritage estates to establish consensus on what constitutes regenerative greenspace and to define measurable indicators; and a Framework for Measuring Progress: The team will design and pilot a tool that integrates metrics for net-zero goals, community engagement, biodiversity, and innovation. This tool aims to enable estate managers to develop evidence-based strategies, track progress, and communicate results to stakeholders and the local community.

Transformational impact

This project is expected to deliver significant real-world benefits, influencing policy and fostering sustainable practices among heritage and conservation organisations nationwide. Additionally, The Crichton Trust and the OU research team are committed to knowledge dissemination through academic publications, conferences, and a policy brief aimed at shaping national funding and sustainability strategies. The framework developed through this project has the potential to inform global practices, benefiting green spaces and communities far beyond the UK.

The team working on this project, also hope this project will help build the foundation for a tool kit to help the Crichton Trust and others demonstrate the impact of changing how they maintain their heritage spaces and help others think about greenspaces in a holistic and asset-based approach.

Looking ahead

The grant, which supports research from December 2024 to August 2025, will also enable the involvement of emerging researchers, including an intern with expertise in horticulture and community development. The project will lay the groundwork for further funding applications, potentially leading to the creation of a fully operational toolkit for regenerative greenspace management. With this support, The Crichton Trust is poised to set a benchmark for how heritage estates can evolve as leaders in addressing global challenges such as climate change and societal well-being.