How has the WMF Watch helped:
Watch nominators James Parrent and Eryn Brennan of the Falmouth Heritage Renewal (FHR) tell WMF how the Watch has helped them to meet their mission to preserve historic Falmouth whilst improving the lives of the people who live there.
Dr James Parrent is Executive Director of FHR, which he set up in 2001 with Chris Ohrstrom. He is an Archaeologist and Cultural Resource Management specialist and has worked as an anthropologist in Jamaica for more than 20 years. His central concern is the people of Falmouth and the improvement of their lives.
Eryn Brennan is Director of Development & Communications of FHR. She first joined FHR as a student participating in the University of Virginia Falmouth Field School. Since graduating with graduate degrees in Architectural History and Urban & Environmental Planning, she now works with FHR to develop the donor database, write grants, increase public outreach and raise awareness about Falmouth Heritage Renewal
Address the Threats?
“Thanks to FHR’s work, supported by the Watch, the intrinsic values of Falmouth’s buildings are now being recognised locally and at government and international levels.
Threats still exist in terms of ongoing weather and insect threats. However, our work, has stabilised and strengthened the buildings at risk against these threats.” James Parrent
Raise Advocacy?
“The 1996 listing as a National Monument gave Falmouth recognition locally, regionally and nationally and, most importantly it was recognised as at risk by the Jamaican government.
The Watch raised the international profile of Falmouth and placed pressure on the government to address imminent threats. Continued listing on the Watch means awareness continues to increase, giving Falmouth a presence in the international preservation community. Visitors and the world community at large associate the Caribbean with sun, sea and sand, whereas the Watch is a valuable tool that highlights the fact that there is a rich history and architectural legacy, both extant and in ruins throughout the Caribbean as well as Europe.“ Eryn Brennan
Raise Funding?
“Grants and donors have increased in general through the publicity generated by listing on the Watch. It encourages donations by pointing FHR out as a responsible organisation. WMF’s reputation has given us a stamp of approval. Donors want to give to successful organisations and WMF’s support is evidence of that success, helping us to develop and sustain relationships with our partners. We received a WMF grant via the Annenberg Foundation for $50,000 in 2007 to repair and restore the roof, porch and windows of the barracks building on the site of the Gaol complex.” Eryn Brennan
Grants &donations received: WMF, The Samuel H.Kress Foundation, The Friends of the Georgian Society of Jamaica, individual members of the Friends of Falmouth, The CHASE fund, The Tourism Enhancement Fund, The Reed Foundation, and many more.
The Community?
Economic development
“FHR facilitates the economic development of Falmouth by offering employment opportunities and training programmes. This brings more people into the locality, and hopefully spending their money locally. FHR promotes economic revitalisation through historic preservation.
Our work, made possible by our generous donors and the continued support of organisations such as WMF, seeks to develop a tourist infrastructure that is environmentally responsible and helps foster a diverse and sustainable economy.” Eryn Brennan
Calvin Hall is from Rural Trelawny Parish.
Four years ago, after completing the four week programme at Falmouth Heritage Renewal, Calvin was selected by staff to continue as a trainee. His training stipend has helped him put his younger sister through school.
Since then he has advanced his knowledge of both masonry and timber restoration, learned how to measure and record historic buildings, and gained computer skills. Last year Calvin was promoted to the level of trainer and has become a full-time staff member of FHR.
Training
“We recognised early on in our work that that few skills were held by local people in regard to restoring historical buildings. A training programme was quickly developed in response to the skills gap. Specialists were brought in to teach historical building skills.
Training is the most important aspect of our work. In terms of development we have been watching young men grow through the course of the programme and gain skills that enable them to provide for their families and go on to raise families of their own. In terms of preservation, training the local population has helped to overcome the threat of inappropriate repairs.
Around 70% of donor funds received go towards the training and building programmes. We work together with the government’s Human Employment & Resource Training-National Training Agency HEART/NTA to vocationally train young people. The programme has grown from 3 people to 14 people and continues to develop with a permanent staff of trainers made up of previous trainees.” James Parrent
