Partner With Us

We are looking for organisations who want to share our commitment to education, culture, and social impact to help expand the reach and sustainability of the Sandford Award, one of the UK’s most established benchmarks for high-quality in learning outside the classroom.

The Sandford Award is delivered by the Heritage Education Trust (HET), an independent charity that ensures the quality, consistency, and integrity of the programme.

With your support, we can:

  • Increase the number of accredited heritage learning sites across the UK, particularly in underserved regions

  • Enable more schools and young people to access high-quality heritage learning

  • Reduce barriers for small and community-run organisations seeking accreditation

  • Strengthen professional development for heritage educators and volunteer assessors

By investing in heritage education, your organisation helps to:

  • Broaden opportunity and access

  • Strengthen community engagement

  • Support future skills, creativity, and wellbeing

Together, we can ensure every young person has access to inspiring heritage experiences that allow young people to engage with the past through real places, objects, and stories, bringing history to life in ways classrooms alone cannot.

Sandford Award – partnership opportunities

The Sandford Award recognises and celebrates high-quality in heritage education across the UK and Ireland. Since 1978, it has highlighted outstanding learning provision across historic sites, museums, archives, landscapes, and cultural organisations. Successful sites receive the Award as independent validation of their educational practice. The Heritage Education Trust works through the Sandford Award to raise standards, support professional learning, encourage reflective practice, and provide assurance to audiences and funders.

Why support the Sandford Award?

National recognition

Align your organisation with one of the UK’s most respected and long-standing heritage education awards.

Reach and visibility

Connect directly with:

  • Heritage organisations across the UK and Ireland

  • Museums, archives, galleries, and historic sites

  • Education professionals

  • Local and national media

  • Policy-makers in the culture and education sectors

Genuine social impact

Your support helps sustain:

  • High-quality heritage learning

  • Inclusion and accessibility initiatives

  • Educator development and training

  • New programmes for schools and communities

Alignment with your values

Ideal for organisations committed to:

  • Education

  • Culture and the arts

  • Community engagement

  • Heritage and conservation

  • Innovation in learning

  • Corporate social responsibility

Partnership opportunities

We offer flexible partnership models, including:

  • Award sponsorship

  • Programme support

  • Regional or thematic partnerships

  • Long-term strategic collaboration

By partnering with the Heritage Education Trust, you support the independent framework behind the Sandford Award, helping to raise standards, expand access, and benefit both organisations and audiences across the sector.

Join us

Help build the next generation of heritage ambassadors.

Contact us

To discuss partnership opportunities please contact:

Jayne Ellis

sandford@bishopg.ac.uk

“As a university committed to heritage education, lifelong learning and the positive difference education makes in the lives of individuals and communities, we greatly value our longstanding partnership with the Heritage Education Trust.”
— Professor Andrew Gower, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of Lincoln Bishop University
“Historic Royal Palaces is proud to be a longstanding partner of the Heritage Education Trust and the Sandford Awards. The Awards provide important recognition for high-quality heritage education across the UK and Ireland, celebrating the expertise and dedication of the teams who bring history to life for hundreds of thousands of pupils each year. Their trusted, independent assessment gives teachers confidence that they are choosing engaging, inclusive and well-managed learning experiences. As an organisation committed to making history accessible and meaningful, we are delighted to support an award that champions excellence, encourages continued development and raises the profile of heritage learning across the sector.”
— Alison Lightbown, Head of Schools and Community Partnerships, Historic Royal Palaces

Contact us

To discuss partnership opportunities please contact:

Jayne Ellis at sandford@bishopg.ac.uk

Write to us:

Heritage Education Trust
Lincoln Bishop University
Longdales Road
Lincoln
LN1 3DY

Banner image: Fishbourne Roman Palace, Sandford Award holder