Social Research Builders!

The South West Heritage Trust (SWHT) operates with the principle aim to ‘celebrate and protect Somerset and Devon’s rich heritage, helping everyone to enjoy it now and in the future.’ Operational since 2014, the Trust aims to support communities, protect heritage, and be enterprising in its guardianship of the region’s heritage.

In April 2025 SRB was contracted to SWHT’s Preserving the Isca Photographic Collection - funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund,  with additional support from the Friends of Devon Archives and The Exeter Quay and Canal Trust. This project was part of a series of activities at the Devon Heritage Centre aiming to develop archival skills and to engage local communities with Exeter’s photographic heritage.

Off the back of extensive work already done by SWHT to establish baseline data for this ambitious and multi-faceted project, SRB worked to expand upon the Trust’s existing evaluation framework in order to assess the effectiveness of the project’s interpretation, digital content and activities engaging different audiences. Working closely with the project steering group, SRB gathered data through site visits, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, case studies, and surveys - as well as supporting SWHT to collect its own data through the delivery phase. Pooling all of this data together against the evaluation framework, SRB submitted its fully independent report to the Trustees and the Heritage Fund - complete with findings and recommendations - in January 2026.

Carlisle Cathedral has been a centre of English worship for over 900 years. With 50 members of staff, over 160 volunteers, and more than 150,000 visitors each year, the Cathedral’s Augustine values of unity, truth and love ensure that it offers welcome and rest for the people of Cumbria, and visitors to the region.

In August 2025, Social Research Builders (SRB) was commissioned to conduct a feasibility study for, and delivery of, Carlisle Cathedral’s fundraising campaign to restore its current, 170 year-old organ. Across two project stages, SRB’s role was to provide evidence-based guidance, highlight risks and opportunities, and propose a realistic path forward to the Cathedral’s Chapter, as it looked to raise the required funds.

Through consulting with over 160 stakeholders (congregation members/volunteers/donors/partners), reviewing the Cathedral’s fundraising case for support, speaking with trusts/foundations/potential major donors, and providing recommendations on campaign strategy and realistic fundraising goals; SRB has worked to help ensure that the Carlisle’s organ remains central to worship, music-making and community life at the Cathedral.

The campaign to raise the remainder of the required funding is ongoing.

CFSurrey is a philanthropic charity that connects donors with local need within Surrey. The Foundation awards grants to charities, voluntary groups, and social enterprises, in order to tackle poverty, education, health, and social isolation within the county. Through their funding, CFSurrey empowers communities, strengthens local initiatives, and works to create lasting change by ensuring that all donations achieve maximum impact.

Having worked with CFSurrey across two previous commissions, Social Research Builders (SRB) was awarded the contract for CFSurrey’s Interim Review of the Mental Health Scale-Up Fund (MHSUF). MHSUF was established in 2022 with the mission to up-scale successful projects involved in the improvement of mental health for people under 30. These MHSUF-funded projects offer a diverse range of support; spanning prevention, early intervention, crisis support, and targeted provision for priority groups.

SRB’s ongoing role is to support MHSUF’s future funding decisions,
and strategic direction, by gauging the current funding landscape in Surrey, and to assess the impact of VCSE organisations’ delivery of
preventative mental health support for young people. It will do this through a mixture of desk-based research, and in-person consultation; culminating in a comprehensive evaluation report - complete with key findings, impact analysis, and recommendations - due in October 2026. This report will help strengthen MHSUF’s future funding rounds, its strategic priorities, its donor engagement, and its efforts to position itself as a leader in evidence-informed, long-term grant-making.

In 2022, Social Research Builders was commissioned to deliver the independent evaluation of the council’s Building Thriving Communities programme funded through the Communities and Place strand of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The programme was a brilliant example of partnership working between the council, Citizens Advice Sheffield, South Yorkshire Community Foundation and Voluntary Action Sheffield. It aimed to provide emergency support during the cost of living crisis while laying foundations for stronger, more resilient communities.

SRB’s role was to evaluate impact across the programme’s two-year life cycle, using a mixed-methods approach combining strategic analysis, participatory research and case studies from local delivery partners. The final evaluation report served both as a formal accountability tool for government and a learning resource to shape future cross-sector working in the city.

Our relationship with BLCF began in 2023, when SRB was commissioned to deliver the charity’s first Vital Signs report since 2017. We led a mixed-method study that combined a survey of 236 residents and stakeholders, targeted interviews, and fresh analysis of national datasets to map local need and community resilience. The resulting publication, Vital Signs: Taking the Pulse of our Community, has since informed BLCF’s grant strategies and donor communications.

Building on this trust, BLCF has asked SRB to support its 25th anniversary year. In 2025, we started to run a Vital Signs “temperature check”, revisiting original contributors to track shifts in local needs. We are also delivering a strategic plan review, engaging trustees, staff, donors and partners to assess progress against the 2022-27 strategy and co-create new organisational goals.

Social Research Builders was appointed as the evaluation partner for Future of the Past, a major three-year heritage engagement initiative funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Led by soundLINCS and delivered in partnership with six heritage sites, the project aims to widen access to Lincolnshire’s diverse heritage by engaging young people aged 11-25 in co-creating new interpretations of the county’s history through the work of Cultural Facilitators.

Now in year two of delivery, SRB has led on developing and implementing a robust, mixed-method evaluation framework in line with National Lottery Heritage Fund evaluation guidance. This includes baseline research with young people and heritage site staff, a portfolio of co-designed research tools, young people, friendly methodology and toolkits to build evaluation capacity among partners. The longitudinal tracking of youth outcomes - including confidence, skills and engagement - has been implemented to effectively measure long term impact on both the heritage sites and the people involved.

SRB’s evaluation work ensures that learning is captured continuously and used to shape delivery, inform funder reporting and build a stronger evidence base for inclusive, youth-led heritage practice.

Social Research Builders was commissioned to support Lives of Colour with the redevelopment of Sandford Park Lodge to become an inclusive Opportunity Hub. This project, seed supported by the Diocese of Gloucester, aims to create a welcoming and accessible space where diverse communities can access services, connect with heritage and shape their future.

Our role focuses on delivering strategic fundraising consultancy to underpin a strong, funder-ready bit to the National Lottery. We are currently in year 1 of a long term partnership developing a phased fundraising strategy, co-designing the case for support and supporting brochure, and leading a creative community consultation to gather insights from local people. Our work ensures that Lives of Colour’s vision is backed by compelling evidence, a strong delivery plan, and a funding roadmap aligned with funder expectations.

Pending approval, SRB will continue to support the project into its development and delivery phases, offering project management, fundraising, monitoring, evaluation and adaptive strategy support.

In 2024, Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery appointed SRB as the evaluation consultants for their NLHF-funded Heritage, Creativity and Community project. This ambitious plan will transform the Grade I listed Northumberland Hall into a dynamic cultural venue in the heart of Alnwick.

SRB worked closely with the museum to deliver a tailored development phase evaluation in line with National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) best practice. We developed a full evaluation framework and toolkit, ensuring it meets NLHF’s four investment principles. This included a Theory of Change model, baseline data analysis, stakeholder consultation, and creative research tools to support ongoing data collection during delivery.

Having successfully completed the development phase evaluation, we have been recommissioned (subject to funding approval) to lead the full delivery phase evaluation from 2025.