The ADAPT Trust has been concerned on two matters:

  The first is that despite being the only charity in the UK with its aim directed to access in heritage and arts premises and despite acceptance by the NHLF as an Assessment Agency, the Trust has not been registered or commissioned to undertake any audits or assessments on access at any venue which has received grant from the Fund.

  Second, because of its concern that, especially in the early years, the Fund was not ensuring that effective access was a criteria in providing grant to venues, the Trust is undertaking a survey of the first 20 venues which have received NHLF grant and where work has been completed. This is at the Trust's own expense but with the co-operation of the Fund.

  It is still the Trust's view that access is not covered satisfactorily as part of the component of requirements by NHLF in providing grants to heritage venues.

  Effective access is important, and now that the total grants for capital purposes within the NHLF and Arts Councils have been reduced substantially, it is crucial that access, and assessment of effectiveness, is a priority within grants to ensure that venues receiving a grant have made their premises accessible to all people.

June 1998