In August this year, the Hamish Ogston Foundation committed a major donation – £11.2m – to English Heritage and our new heritage skills programme. However, given the extremely serious nature of the recent allegations concerning Hamish Ogston, English Heritage has decided to sever its ties with the Hamish Ogston Foundation – of which Hamish Ogston is the Chair.

Of the £11.2m committed, we have received to date £667,000. We have placed those funds into a separate bank account where they are clearly identifiable and we are returning them to the Foundation. We are not using any of the funds received from the Foundation to apply against any spend we've incurred to date on our heritage skills programme - those costs are being paid from English Heritage’s own unrestricted funds. Nor will English Heritage draw down on any further funds committed by the Hamish Ogston Foundation.

English Heritage has also filed a serious incident report with the Charity Commission. 

This is – of course – a setback to our heritage skills programme but English Heritage remains committed to delivering it as it will not only secure countless historic buildings and ensure the survival of many endangered heritage skills but – through the key apprenticeships element – also provide fulfilling careers for young people, now and in the future.