Why Do We Do It?

We Believe Heritage Matters

Heritage is more than history it is identity, belonging, and the shared story that connects people to the places they call home. At Ethos Heritage CIC, we believe that everyone deserves the chance to explore and celebrate that story. Heritage should be lived, experienced, and enjoyed, not locked away behind barriers of cost, confidence, or access.

Our Purpose

Ethos Heritage CIC was founded on a simple but powerful belief: hands‑on heritage activities can help individuals and communities overcome deep‑rooted challenges linked to education, confidence, cohesion, and social isolation. When people come together to uncover the past, they also build new connections, strengthen community pride, and develop skills that support wellbeing and personal growth.

Community at the Heart of Everything We Do

We design and deliver community‑led, community‑focused projects that bring people together around a shared purpose. Whether through archaeological field schools, heritage workshops, outreach programmes, or collaborative research, our work creates spaces where people can learn, contribute, and feel valued.

These projects don’t just explore the past — they help communities thrive in the present.

Removing Barriers, Opening Doors

We recognise that many people have been excluded from engaging with their own heritage. Financial pressures, educational gaps, social inequalities, and a lack of confidence can all prevent individuals from taking part.

Our mission is to remove those barriers and make heritage genuinely accessible. We work with schools, youth groups, NHS staff, military veterans, and community organisations to ensure that everyone — regardless of background, ability, or circumstance — has the opportunity to:

• Discover local history

• Learn new skills

• Build confidence

• Connect with others

• Take pride in their community

Heritage for Everyone

At Ethos Heritage CIC, we believe that heritage belongs to the people who live it every day. By opening the door to inclusive, meaningful, and empowering heritage experiences, we help individuals and communities reconnect with their identity, strengthen local bonds, and build a more confident, cohesive future.

How Do We Run It?

Ethos Heritage CIC is a community‑based organisation.

It was built on the belief that every participant, volunteer, and team member should have a genuine voice in how a project is designed, delivered, and experienced. We work from the bottom up: our communities shape the aims of each project, agree the questions they want to explore, and help define how the work will achieve its objectives from the very beginning.

This approach ensures that everyone involved develops a clear understanding of what they hope to gain from their experience whether that is learning new skills, reconnecting with local heritage, building confidence, or simply enjoying the shared excitement of discovery. By placing decision‑making in the hands of the community, we create projects that are meaningful, relevant, and rooted in local identity.

What we want communities to achieve

We want individuals and communities to decide how their heritage is explored. That means choosing the themes that matter to them, identifying the stories they want to uncover, and shaping the archaeological questions that guide the work. Our role is to support, facilitate, and empower not to dictate.

Field Schools

We run Archaeological Field Schools within our projects, offering high‑quality training and hands‑on experience for students, early‑career archaeologists, and anyone seeking practical skills. These Field Schools operate alongside community participants, ensuring that learning, collaboration, and shared ownership remain at the heart of every excavation.

Together, we create inclusive, community‑driven archaeology that widens participation, builds confidence, and helps people connect with the landscapes and histories that shape their lives.

Who Can Get Involved?

We can answer that in one word: Everybody.

At Ethos Heritage CIC, we welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Our projects are designed for individuals and groups who may not usually have the chance to engage with archaeology or local heritage including those facing socioeconomic barriers, accessibility needs, or a simple lack of representation in traditional heritage spaces.

If you’ve ever felt that archaeology “isn’t for people like you”, we’re here to prove otherwise.

Inclusive, Supportive, Community‑Focused

We actively encourage families to get hands‑on with their local history. Shared experiences like excavation, recording, or artefact handling help build confidence, curiosity, and a strong sense of place. Children and young people thrive when they can explore their past in a safe, friendly, and engaging environment.

We are equally committed to supporting individuals with disabilities, additional needs, or perceived barriers to participation. Our team works closely with participants to understand their requirements and provide practical, respectful solutions — whether that means adapted tools, tailored tasks, flexible involvement, or one‑to‑one support.

When communities see people of all abilities contributing to archaeology, it challenges assumptions and demonstrates the enormous value everyone brings.

A Space Where Everyone Belongs

Our aim is simple: to create welcoming, empowering heritage experiences where people feel included, capable, and proud of what they achieve. Whether you’re joining us as an individual, a family, a community group, or someone looking for a new challenge, you will be supported every step of the way.

Archaeology is for everyone — and everyone has a place in our story.

Our Objectives

• Social Empact: Address social challenges in ways that promote wellbeing and positive mental health outcomes for veterans, young people, adults with additional needs, and community members experiencing isolation.

• Access: Provide meaningful access to local heritage for schools, youth groups, veterans’ organisations, disability‑support groups, and wider community networks.

• Engagement: Engage individuals, groups, and communities who are typically under‑represented in heritage activities, including those facing social disadvantage, rural isolation, or barriers to participation.

• Community Cohesion: Strengthen community cohesion by bringing together diverse groups — such as families, local volunteers, veterans, students, and adults with additional needs — to build shared identity, worth, and belonging.

• Develop Interest in Heritage: Cultivate interest in, and respect for, heritage across all ages and abilities, encouraging curiosity, pride, and long‑term community stewardship.

• Enjoyment: Ensure all participants from school children to veterans, community volunteers, and individuals with additional needs enjoy a fun, rewarding, and confidence‑building experience.