Committee publication · Correspondence · 3 June 2026

Letter from Baroness Twycross, Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling relating to Protect built heritage evidence session follow-up, 22 May 2026

From: Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Summary

Baroness Twycross responds to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's follow-up questions from a 10 February evidence session on protecting built heritage. The letter addresses data collection on heritage sector volunteer demographics, clarifying that heritage ALBs do not currently publish demographic profiles, though the English Heritage Trust has recently begun collecting this information. DCMS will publish new statistical releases on volunteer demographics for 2021/22–2024/25 by early June and update with 2025/26 data in July.

Key findings

Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Trust, and English Heritage Trust do not routinely publish demographic data on their volunteers, though the English Heritage Trust has begun collecting this information via its Volunteer Hub.
DCMS has collected annual volunteer demographic data through the Community Life Survey (2020/21–2024/25) and the new Community and Engagement Survey (2025/26), but detailed sector-level breakdowns have not been routinely published.
DCMS previously published a single ad hoc statistical release on volunteer demographics in the heritage sector for 2021/22 but had not identified sufficient demand for further releases.
In response to the Committee's inquiry, DCMS commits to publishing an ad hoc statistical release covering volunteer demographics from 2021/22 to 2024/25 by early June, with an update including 2025/26 data after July.
A separate letter from Baroness Twycross addresses the Committee's questions on the Places of Worship Renewal Fund.

Tone

Procedural

Topics

heritagepublic-datavolunteeringcultural-sector

Key actors

Baroness Twycross, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Trust, English Heritage Trust, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee

Notable line

“Given the above lack of published data we will now publish a new ad hoc statistical release providing the required data in the remaining years to 2024/25 by early June”

Key Quotes

“English Heritage Trust (EHT)] currently publish data on the demographic profile of their volunteers.”
— Baroness Twycross · On heritage sector volunteer demographic data collection

“EHT have just started to collate volunteers' demographic information as part of their national online Volunteer Hub.”
— Baroness Twycross · On recent progress in volunteer data collection

“Since 2020/21, DCMS has collected annual data on the levels and demographics of volunteers in the heritage sector through our household surveys.”
— Baroness Twycross · On DCMS data collection activities

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗