Mourne Heritage Trust

Our Governance

The Mourne Heritage Trust, established in 1997, is a registered Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee. Its governance is managed by a voluntary board of Trustees from farming, business, tourism, and environmental sectors.

The Trust’s mission is:

‘To sustain and enhance the environment, rural regeneration, cultural heritage and visitor opportunities of the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and contribute to the wellbeing of Mourne’s communities.

The following are its strategic aims:

• Natural Environment Enhancement and Protection – ‘Safeguard, enhance and promote appreciation of the quality and diversity of the landscapes and biodiversity of the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and to manage and influence change appropriately’.
• Visitor Management and Visitor Services – ‘To provide and maintain opportunities for public enjoyment, education, and recreation within the Mourne AONB in ways which safeguard the environment and protect land management and community interests’.
• Built and Cultural Heritage – ‘To identify, promote, safeguard and enhance the built and cultural heritage of the Mourne AONB’.
• Sustainable Tourism – ‘To promote regeneration through the development and facilitation of appropriate sustainable tourism initiatives in the Mourne AONB’.

The Trust’s work follows the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Management Plan. This plan sets its priorities and activities. Every five years, the Trust submits a new work program to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for approval, detailing the key initiatives planned for the Mourne AONB.

Funding Overview

The Mourne Heritage Trust receives its largest funding from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), an agency of the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. This is funded from proceeds of the Carrier Bag Levy, awarded in a competitive grants process and supporting a range of actions to deliver positive environmental outcomes.

The Trust also delivers a range of services under a funding agreement with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NM&DDC), which includes the maintenance of mountain bike, walking and horse trails in Castlewellan and Rostrevor forests.  In addition to this core support, the Trust occasionally benefits from funding provided by other organisations for specific projects/initiatives (eg NI Water and Tourism NI), while also applying for other challenge funds including the National Lottery Heritage Fund. As a Charity we also enjoy some generous donations from individuals, groups and corporate bodies.

Our annual accounts offer a comprehensive summary of our financial performance and are available to download below.