The Crichton Trust in Dumfries has been awarded funding from The Open University’s (OU) Open Societal Challenges programme as part of the second wave of their ‘Challenge Us!’ competition, which partners charities and businesses with OU researchers to address some of society’s most critical challenges. The Crichton Trust was selected as one of nine winners from over 200 submissions, showcasing the strength and innovation of their proposal.
The funding will support the Trust’s innovative project, “Developing a Framework for a Tool to Measure Progress Towards Regenerative and Heritage Greenspace,” focused on developing a tool to measure progress towards regenerative and heritage greenspaces, emphasising biodiversity, community wellbeing, and sustainability.
A vision for regenerative greenspaces
Jennifer Challinor, Head of Research and Development at The Crichton Trust, expressed her excitement about the winning research project: “This is a really exciting opportunity for the Trust, aligning perfectly with our vision for innovation and our focus on the wellbeing of people, place, and the planet.”
The Crichton Trust, a heritage charity and social enterprise, manages the historic Crichton Royal estate, a site of significant cultural importance spanning 85 acres of parkland and home to three universities, over 160 businesses, and a thriving local community in the South of Scotland.
The project aims to address the challenge of balancing net-zero carbon goals with biodiversity preservation and community well-being on large heritage estates. In collaboration with The Open University’s interdisciplinary research team, the Trust will work on two key deliverables:
- Shared definition of regenerative greenspace: Stakeholder workshops to create a consensus on what constitutes regenerative greenspace and to define measurable indicators.
- Framework for measuring progress: A pilot tool integrating metrics for net-zero goals, community engagement, biodiversity, and heritage preservation, enabling estate managers to track progress and inform decision-making.
Sustaining long-term impact through collaboration
The OU’s judging panel praised the initiative, stating: “The Crichton Trust proposal places sustainability at the heart of its work and crucially ties together ecology, heritage, and wellbeing in a truly innovative way. These are all values which The Open University holds dear. The plans for regenerative greenspace can also serve as a beacon for sustainable living in other places.”
The project is expected to deliver significant tangible benefits, influencing policy and fostering sustainable practices among heritage and conservation organisations nationwide. The two organisations are also committed to knowledge dissemination through academic publications, conferences, and a policy brief aimed at shaping funding and sustainability strategies.
Professor Kevin Shakesheff, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at The Open University, commented on the project’s impact: “The Open University is committed to tackling some of the most important societal challenges of our time by applying world-leading research to real-world problems, and through collaborations like this, we can drive meaningful change. The framework developed through this project with The Crichton Trust has the potential to inform global practices, benefiting green spaces and communities far beyond the UK.”
The Open Societal Challenges programme, launched by the OU in 2023, focuses on themes such as Tackling Inequalities, Living Well, and Sustainability. The ‘Challenge Us!’ competition, part of this initiative, encourages recent graduates, UK charities, and local businesses to collaborate with OU academics to find innovative solutions to societal challenges.
The Crichton Trust’s collaboration with The Open University extends beyond this project, with a previous partnership such as the European Lunar Symposium, hosted by the OU at the Crichton Campus in June 2024. This event brought together global researchers to discuss the future of lunar exploration, cementing both organisations’ role in innovative, forward-thinking collaborations that span sustainability, heritage, and technology.
