Why are you doing it – and who should be involved?
Your team - who should be involved and what skills do you need?
Most projects work best with a team of keen people bringing their interests and skills to share the tasks. Ideally you want to involve a good cross-section of people in your interpretation project, including the local community and representatives of organisations which work in the area. You may want to include:
- People who represent interests such as the Community Council, the chapels and churches and the schools
- People who have a detailed knowledge of the area, its wildlife and its history. This could include farmers, foresters and other landowners
- People who are involved with visitors such as the owners of shops, pubs, B&Bs and hotels and others
- People with special skills such as writing, researching, performing arts or design expertise
Whatever kind of interpretation project you’re thinking about, you’ll need people who can help with planning and researching as well as actually producing your interpretation. There’s often a surprising range of skills hidden in your local community so it’s worth asking around to find out who could help you. You can do this by:
- talking to as many people as possible
- asking for help through the local media
- asking local groups and schools
- holding a public event or gathering to tell people what you are planning to do and asking for their help
There may be artists, illustrators, performers, writers,photographers, historians, wildlife enthusiasts, carpenters and builders out there - all waiting to be asked to help out! The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority’s Interpretation Officer can also give you advice on your project. It’s worth thinking through the basics of the planning process outlined in Section D of this toolkit beforehand, so that you have a good overview of the stages involved and know the areas where you would like more help and advice. There is a pre-contact check list to help you in Appendix 1.
Getting professional help
You may decide, in addition to the work that your group can undertake, that you also want some professional advice on your interpretation – to edit your text, to design your panel, leaflet or website or to record your audio material. As a society we are constantly bombarded by professionally produced media such as magazines, newspapers, television and the internet – and your interpretation has to compete with these products. If your interpretation isn’t well designed and produced, it could look unappealing and unprofessional. There are a number of firms that specialise in interpretation for countryside and heritage sites, and their knowledge and experience can be invaluable. They will be able to help you sort out the best product and materials to use for getting your messages across. Dehongli Cymru have a Directory of Suppliers on their website; www.dehonglicymru.co.uk and www.interpretwales.co.uk
Partnerships can bring shared glory
Interpretation projects also offer great opportunities for working with other local organisations – you can share the work and the costs while both achieving great things! You could involve the local Community Council, regeneration groups and local access forums. For an event or trail you could work with other community projects in your area or there might be neighbouring communities who would like to get involved. And remember that you’ll need to market your interpretation, so see if there is any individual or organisation that you could work with to market your site. Depending on the type of interpretation you decide on, you could also include information about local services and businesses in the area. If you’ve decided to hold an event or write a leaflet, you could promote bus services, pubs, cafes and B&Bs. But remember to keep information about businesses general as names can change and owners move away. Look at the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority’s website for more information www.breconbeacons.org
Potential partners include:
- Local History groups
- Local Natural History groups
- Wildlife Trusts and any WATCH groups for young people
- Schools
- Adult Learning Groups such as U3A (University of the Third Age)
- Neighbouring parishes
- Community Councils
- Women’s Institutes
- Young Farmers Clubs
- Local businesses
- Youth Groups
