Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust

What Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust does

Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust (TWBPT) is a registered UK charity (No. 509133), founded in 1979 and headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, that preserves the architectural heritage of the Tyne and Wear region through the repair, conservation, and regeneration of historic buildings and structures. The Trust operates across all five Local Authority areas — Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, North Tyneside, and South Tyneside — and currently manages a portfolio of nine sites including Dunston Staiths, Keelmen's Hospital, St Mary's by the Tyne, St Hilda's Pit Head, the Bottle Kilns, Blackfell Hauler House, 28-30 The Close, and cemetery sites under the Stories of the Stones project. Its work has resulted in tangible outcomes such as the removal of the Bottle Kilns from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register in 2017 after 41 years of work, and the upcoming conversion of Keelmen's Hospital into 20 affordable housing units.

The Trust generates income through a mix of restricted project grants (National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Architectural Heritage Fund, multiple local authorities, Garfield Weston Foundation), tiered individual memberships on Patreon (£12/£30/£54 per year mirroring heritage listing grades), venue hire and events at St Mary's by the Tyne, donations, and commercial leases with tenants such as House of Tides (Michelin-starred restaurant) and PopRecs CIC. Recent grant activity includes £548,200 for St Hilda's Pit Head restoration (2024), £437,732 development funding for Keelmen's Hospital (2024), and a £4.6 million main award for the full Keelmen's Hospital restoration (2026). The go-to-market is community-led: building partnerships with local authorities, engaging volunteers and school groups, and hosting events at heritage sites, with earned media and a small digital footprint (website, Instagram/Facebook for St Mary's, Patreon) supporting awareness.

The organization is lean — 8 employees including Trust Manager Martin Hulse, Deputy Manager Kari Vickers, and Communications Officer Katie Liddane — and relies on a broad ecosystem of architects (Mawson Kerr, Doonan Architects), contractors (Meldrum Construction, Stone Technical Services), heritage bodies (English Heritage, Heritage Network), conservation partners (Durham Wildlife Trust), and community volunteer groups (Staiths Friends, Westoe Miners' Banner Group). It is not a technology or software company; its operational substance is in physical heritage restoration, community engagement, and grant-funded capital project delivery rather than digital product development.

Name

Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust

Legal name

Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust

Website

https://twbpt.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust is a Newcastle-based UK registered charity, founded 1979, that restores and manages historic buildings across the five Local Authority areas of Tyne and Wear, funded by heritage grants, Patreon memberships, venue hire, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Building Preservation and Conservation Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Home Renovation & Preservation (HSAPAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Iconic Architecture & Signature Buildings (Cathedrals, Palaces, Castles) (THAJACAE)

Keywords

• Heritage building preservation
• Historic building restoration
• Listed building conservation
• Heritage venue hire
• Community heritage projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: The Trust generates recurring revenue through tiered membership levels (Grade II at £12/year, Grade II* at £30/year, Grade I at £54/year) hosted on Patreon, providing early access to newsletters, priority event booking, and exclusive content.
2. Donations and patron support: Individual donations through Patreon and one-off donations via CAF Online. Supporters can contribute financially to preserve iconic buildings of the North East.
3. Event revenue: Revenue generated from events at heritage sites including Dunston Staiths markets, Heritage Open Days, and community celebrations. The Trust also hosts weddings and corporate events at St Mary's by the Tyne.
4. Venue hire: St Mary's by the Tyne operates as a venue space for hire, accommodating up to 160 guests for weddings and corporate events with exclusive weekend hire options.
5. Grant funding: Major grant funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Architectural Heritage Fund, Newcastle City Council, South Tyneside Council, and Sunderland City Council for specific restoration projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust preserves the architectural heritage of Tyne and Wear through the repair, conservation and regeneration of historic buildings and structures. It acquires at-risk heritage assets, restores them in partnership with local authorities and funders, and brings them back into community use as housing, workspace, venues, and heritage sites. It also operates venue hire at St Mary's by the Tyne, a tiered Patreon membership programme, and community engagement initiatives such as Stories of the Stones.

Product overview

Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust (TWBPT) is a registered charity (no. 509133) that preserves architectural heritage in Tyne and Wear through the repair, conservation, and regeneration of historic buildings and structures. Rather than offering software products, TWBPT provides heritage preservation services including building restoration projects, community engagement programs, venue hire, and membership tiers. Their portfolio includes management of notable heritage sites such as Dunston Staiths, Keelmen's Hospital, St. Mary's by the Tyne, Blackfell Hauler House, St Hilda's Pit Head, The Bottle Kilns, 28-30 The Close, Westgate Hill Cemetery, and St. John's Cemetery. The organization also runs the Stories of the Stones community project focused on cemetery heritage. Revenue comes from membership subscriptions (Grade II at £12/year, Grade II* at £30/year, Grade I at £54/year), venue hire at St Mary's by the Tyne, and fundraising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stories of the Stones: A project focused on celebrating the history of St John's and Westgate Hill cemeteries in Elswick, exploring community engagement and cemetery regeneration.

Products and services

• Venue Hire at St Mary's by the Tyne Historic venue hire at St Mary's by the Tyne, a former medieval church in Gateshead, accommodating up to 160 guests for weddings, receptions, and corporate events with exclusive weekend hire options and in-house bar supplier partnerships.
• TWBPT Membership Programme Tiered annual membership programme delivered via Patreon with Grade II at £12/year, Grade II* at £30/year, and Grade I at £54/year, providing early newsletter access, priority event booking, exclusive content, pin badges, tote bags, free public event tickets, and exclusive building tours.
• Heritage Building Restoration Services Acquisition, conservation, repair, and regeneration of at-risk Grade II, Grade II*, and Grade I listed buildings and structures in partnership with local authorities, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, and the Architectural Heritage Fund. Delivered outcomes include affordable housing, community workspace, and removal from the Heritage at Risk Register.

Quantifiable outcome

• Keelmen's Hospital restoration will provide 20 affordable housing units for Newcastle City Council
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Newcastle City CouncilcoreOthersWorking in partnership with Newcastle City Council for Keelmen's Hospital restoration, providing affordable housing units. Also partnered on All Saints Church and Alderman Fenwick's projects. Supported Stories of the Stones cemetery project.
• South Tyneside CouncilcoreOthersProvided funding alongside National Lottery Heritage Fund for St Hilda's Pit Head restoration project and ongoing support for building management.
• Sunderland City CouncilcoreOthersPartnered with Trust to protect and restore 172-174 High Street West buildings. Purchased buildings and provided restoration funding through Heritage Action Zone.
• Northumberland County CouncilcoreOthersCollaborated with Trust and Historic England on Bottle Kilns preservation project in Corbridge.
• Heritage NetworkminorOthersProfessional heritage network hosting events and conferences. Trust staff presented at 'Building Futures: Community-Led Heritage in the North East' event at Redhills.
• Mawson Kerr ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm engaged for St Hilda's Pit Head restoration and Keelmen's Hospital projects, including detailed design and planning work.
• Meldrum ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction contractor for St Hilda's Pit Head restoration project, undertaking building works from 2017-2018.
• Stone Technical ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for Bottle Kilns restoration work, undertaking repairs to curving brickwork using MEWP equipment.
• Doonan ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLed the Bottle Kilns restoration team, achieving removal from Heritage at Risk Register after 41 years of work.
• Tristan Spicer (Doonan Architects)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLed the Trust's team on the Bottle Kilns project, instrumental in achieving successful restoration.
• Staiths FriendscoreOthersCommunity volunteer group working closely with Trust to maintain Dunston Staiths, engage the community, and fundraise for ongoing restoration.
• Westoe Miners' Banner GroupcoreOthersMiners' group working with Trust to share St Hilda's Pit Head history with community. Provide school workshops and visitor advice.
• Harton and Westoe Miners' WelfareminorOthersWorking closely with Trust to share St Hilda's Pit Head site's important history with wider community.
• English HeritageminorOthersPartnership with English Heritage (alongside Durham Wildlife Trust and Gateshead Council) to raise funds for Dunston Staiths restoration and enable public access.
• Durham Wildlife TrustminorOthersPartnership to support Dunston Staiths restoration alongside English Heritage and Gateshead Council.
• Gateshead CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority partner for Dunston Staiths management and Tyne Derwent Way project linking heritage sites.
• Navigator NorthminorOthersHeritage organization that co-presented with Trust at Heritage Network 'Building Futures' panel discussion.
• Hadrian's Wall Wetlands Landscape RecoveryminorOthersEnvironmental project that co-presented with Trust at Heritage Network event.
• Tyne & Wear ArchivesminorOthersRepository holding cemetery records, burial registers, and historic documents used for Stories of the Stones research.
• St James' Heritage and Environment GroupminorOthersLocal heritage group providing research and publications on Elswick and West End of Newcastle history.
• Gateshead International Festival of Theatre (GIFT)minorOthersArts festival partner for events at Dunston Staiths.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SAVE Britain's Heritage: UK charity founded in 1975 campaigning to save historic buildings from demolition or neglect through advocacy, listings campaigns, and direct intervention. Highly comparable mission of rescuing at-risk heritage structures, with similar focus on Grade-listed buildings and community benefit.
• Churches Conservation Trust: UK charity that takes on historic churches and buildings at risk of closure or demolition and operates them as visitor attractions. Closely comparable operating model of acquiring heritage buildings and managing them for community benefit, with similar volunteer and community engagement approach.
• Council for British Archaeology: UK charity advocating for the protection and appreciation of the historic environment, including buildings and sites of historic significance. Comparable advocacy-focused mission and engagement with public education around heritage.
• Heritage Trust Network: UK-wide network of building preservation trusts and heritage organizations. TWBPT presented at Heritage Network's 'Building Futures: Community-Led Heritage in the North East' event at Redhills (May 2026), indicating active membership/engagement. Directly comparable peer as the umbrella network for organizations with TWBPT's exact operational model.
• Ancient Monuments Society: UK charity dedicated to the conservation and appreciation of ancient monuments, historic buildings, and heritage sites. Comparable heritage preservation mission and similar nonprofit advocacy approach, focused on at-risk built heritage.
• The Landmark Trust: UK charity that takes on historic buildings at risk and operates them as vacation rentals and venue spaces. Comparable in venue-hire aspect to TWBPT's St Mary's by the Tyne operations, with similar model of acquiring heritage buildings and generating income to fund preservation.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust: UK's largest heritage charity with 5M+ members and a nationwide portfolio of heritage properties, countryside, and gardens. Similar mission of preserving historic buildings and opening them to the public, but vastly larger scale, broader scope, and national reach compared to TWBPT's regional focus.
• English Heritage: Self-funded public body managing over 400 historic properties across England, from prehistoric sites to castles and abbeys. Partially overlapping scope with TWBPT's restoration and visitor operations, but operates national portfolio of major historic sites rather than community-led restoration of at-risk buildings.

Others

• Historic England: UK government's statutory adviser on the historic environment, maintaining the Heritage at Risk Register and providing grant funding. Partner and co-funder of TWBPT (including St Hilda's Pit Head), and key ecosystem participant rather than competitor — provides oversight, technical advice, and funding.
• The Architectural Heritage Fund: UK-wide social investor providing project development phase funding and viability funding for heritage restoration projects. Direct funder of TWBPT's Keelmen's Hospital and Sunderland High Street West projects, positioning it as a capital provider and ecosystem participant rather than a competing operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stmarysbythetyne
• Instagraminstagram.com/stmarysbythetyne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/twbpt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust