PROTECTING OUR LEGACY

LAST YEAR, ALMOST 70,000 PEOPLE VISITED THE HERITAGE SITES RUN BY DIN L-ART Ħ ELWA, MALTA’S VERSION OF THE UK’S NATIONAL TRUST. THAT IS QUITE A NUMBER WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THERE WERE ONLY 14 SITES THAT OPENED REGULARLY TO THE PUBLIC – AND THAT THIS WAS THANKS TO A DEDICATED NETWORK OF OVER 150 VOLUNTEERS.

The sites themselves vary, from impressive towers to chapels, a cemetery and even a lighthouse, on all the three islands.

Many of these were restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa, which – since it was founded in 1965 by Judge Maurice Caruana Curran – has helped to save around 40 landmarks, some dating back to Medieval times.

Some of these sites are given to Din l-Art Ħelwa under guardianship agreements, allowing the organisation to maintain them, and to make them accessible to the public when possible. This means organising a veritable army of volunteers to man the sites, which attract not only tourists but also school groups, which go there to create lasting memories of some of the marvellous monuments that remain testimony to the eras that form the islands’ history. All this helps a great deal to raise awareness, not only of the islands’ heritage but also of the environmental challenges.

The non-profit organisation relies not only on volunteers but also on sponsors, without whose funds very little could have been achieved. Sponsors not only donate funds but also actively encourage their employees to help at the sites, and often use the venues for their corporate events, from social gatherings to training and seminars.

However, Din l-Art Ħelwa does so much more than most people imagine. It also has a Heritage and Environment Protection Committee, for example, which checks planning applications for abuse of the environment and inappropriate development. Last year they filed objections to 1,500 incidents – no small task when you consider that there were around 7,500 applications filed in 2021, the last full year for which figures are currently available. Some of these objections end up in court, resulting in important judgments on points of planning policy which will positively shape applications in the future.