Making It Last: Case Studies in Sustainable Legacy from East Kent

Andrew Richardson (Isle Heritage CIC)
Over the past twenty years, a wide range of community archaeological projects, both large and small, have been undertaken in Kent. Funding for these has come from a variety of sources, including local and national funding bodies as well as commercial developers. This paper presents case studies of several past and ongoing projects and explores how successful (or not) they have been at generating and sustaining legacy.
The different forms that archaeological project legacy can take, both tangible and intangible, will be considered, as will the pros and cons of grant-funded, developer-funded and grassroots projects. The search will be for the common elements that underpin the achievement of truly sustainable and long-term legacies from short-term projects, as well as for the things that prevent or reduce legacy from genuinely ‘taking root’.