Trusting in the future

1:44pm Wednesday 6th August 2008

T he Oxford Preservation Trust sounds a rather grand title for an organisation - and that is something of a worry for its director Debbie Dance.

Ms Dance fairly crackles with energy and enthusiasm as she talks about the projects the trust has been involved in up to now and its plans for the future.

The trust is launching an Oxford land fund, with the aim of building up a pot of money that can be used to buy land when it comes on the market.

But the thing she is most passionate about is that the work the charity does is something that is relevant and accessible to anyone who lives in or around the city of Oxford.

"The trust is not some elite organisation, it is here for everybody. Our main role is to be the champion of the people of Oxford," she explained.

This year marks the 80th anniversary since the Oxford Preservation Trust was set up to "preserve and enhance for the benefit of the public the amenities of the City of Oxford and its surroundings."

That actually means what Debbie describes as protecting "the character and openness of the city".

In practical terms, since it was formed back in the 1920s, the trust has acquired more than 700 acres of land in Oxford and surrounding areas as far afield as Abingdon, Eynsham, Sandford and Swinford.

It is committed to protecting as much of the city's green belt as possible, much of which the rest of us take for granted.

South Park and Shotover Country Park owe their existence to the trust, which gifted them to the city council in the 1950s.

And in the western hills, the open land at Boars Hill from where there are stunning views of the dreaming spires made famous by poet Matthew Arnold, is owned by the organisation.

More recently, the trust has been embroiled in a battle to prevent a giant book depository being built in Osney Mead on the grounds that it will dominate the skyline and ruin the views of the city's dramatic architecture.

Debbie pointed out: "Unless we stop and think about it, some areas of land and historic views will becomes lost to the public forever. Our plot at Boars Hill was the first to be acquired by the trust.

"That was purchased from developers so had it not been for us that would have ended up as built upon as Botley is now," she added.

But the trust's role isn't just about preventing developers slapping up housing estates or offices in the wrong places, it can involve promoting the right sort of building and renovation.

During her nine years as director, one of Debbie's proudest achievements is spearheading the trust's role in the award-winning Oxford castle regeneration project linking the site into the city for the first time in its 1,000-year history.

The trust received a £3.8m Heritage Lottery Fund grant to create the Oxford Castle Unlocked visitor attraction and to give access to St George's Tower and the Castle Mound.

One of the most positive aspects is that since its completion two years ago, it has catapulted the Castle area and its history into the consciousness of Oxford's youngsters.

Various education programmes take place in the Key Learning Centre in the castleyard, co-ordinated by the trust's education officer Jane Baldwin.

And as part of an outreach initiative, local organisations, including Pegasus Primary School, Blackbird Leys, have performed history-themed plays in the complex.

"When we saw the children performing a play about the history of the city in the grounds of the castle, it was truly amazing because that was the vision we had all along," Debbie said.

Recentlyt the second Mediaeval Fayre was held at the castle,and pulled in more than 2,000 people to watch demonstrations of weapons and warfare, weaving, birds of prey and even Morris dancing.

Then there are the ongoing projects with students such as when 15 and 16 year olds from Oxford Community School took part in celebrating the history of Oxford marmalade.

The youngsters spent a day making preserves then took their samples to the Westgate Centre for a public tasting.

It is this type of hands-on history that makes the past relevant to today's lifestyles that the Trust is keen to carry on promoting, as Debbie explained.

"It is all about giving people ownership of our city's past and that is what creates the buzz," she added.

And the way to do that, she reckons, is with the Opening Doors, Opening Minds event, organised in partnership with the Oxford Times and Oxford University.

It proved such a success when it was piloted last June that the Trust has now committed to running it for the next three years.

This time around there will be more than 35 buildings and spaces opened up to the public, including colleges, churches, local businesses, towers and gardens. There will also be guided walks and talks and vintage bus rides.

"We asked ourselves why Oxford didn't have an Open House initiative like other big cities, such as London, do and there was no reason," said Debbie.

"I see this as broadening out from just managing land to making sure everyone knows about their town. It's about building momentum," she went on.

The trust is launching an Oxford land fund, with the aim of building up a pot of money that can be used to buy land when it comes on the market.

"Often it comes up unexpectedly and there is no time to fund raise so we need to be ready to move swiftly," Debbie explained.

Another project that has just been agreed is the restoration of the Victorian water fountain at St Clements in conjunction with Oxford City Council to mark its 80th year, and there are a host of other irons in the fire.

So despite the fact that the trust is now an octogenarian with a rather staid name, there is little sign of the pace of its activities slowing down, in fact, it seems to be the opposite judging by Debbie's final remark.

"I believe we should have as much land as we possibly can because then it's there for everybody to enjoy forever," she said.

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