The Baring Trust is a heritage conservation organisation that supports and works with people, schools and community groups to champion the natural, built and cultural heritage of local areas. Our patron is the Rt Hon. the Lord Northbrook.
The Baring Trust takes a broad view of heritage and sets out to address any heritage issue that impact the vibrancy, sustainability, equality and health of neighbourhoods. It sees Heritage as being central to the social fabric and economy of a place and core to the sense of place of neighbourhoods. This includes an area’s natural heritage (its environment), built heritage (buildings and urban layout) as well as social-cultural heritage (food, education, celebrations, arts). It believes that all three strands come together to form a distinctive identity and wellbeing of place that should be enhanced and celebrated. The Baring Trust believes that the heritage (natural, built and cultural) that is well managed, protected and promoted, is the driver for making great, healthy neighbourhoods.
The Trust was created in 2012 from the campaign to save the historic landmark public house - The Baring Hall Hotel - from demolition.
The Baring Trust advocates for the positive change needed in local areas to create healthier places to live and work in. It has supported communities successfully campaign to save from demolition and bring back into active use key buildings which have not only formed important historic local landmarks with architectural merit but also current hubs for community cohesion.
Through the Trust's work with the Grove Park Neighbourhood Forum and youth outreach programme with local schools, The Baring Trust has championed the protection of local heritage assets by making sure that all stakeholders understand the importance of historical, cultural and environmental issues on their doorsteps.
Since 2014 The Trust has worked together with the Neighbourhood Forum and other local community groups to map out a community-led vision for a healthier Grove Park neighbourhood, which includes the inspired vision for ‘The Railway Children Urban National Park’.
In 2018 The Baring Trust applied to Historic England to have The Baring Hall Hotel and associated stable block added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. In June 2018 The building was listed at Grade II.
The Trust’s campaign to secure the future of this historic building and to drive forward the community-led vision for a better Grove Park continues. To find out more about the projects we are working on please visit what-we-do and donate pages.
The Baring Trust is a member of the Heritage Trust Alliance.