Shetland Amenity Trust - Hazel Sutherland

Shetland Amenity Trust (SAT) delivers a wide range of initiatives to champion and safeguard Shetland's heritage, so it is protected for future generations.

The overall aim is to instil a passion and pride in Shetland’s heritage, making it accessible for everyone in a way that improves quality of life.

As a charity governed by a Trust Deed, their charitable objectives include Cultural Heritage and Natural Heritage. Cultural heritage involves protecting and enhancing Shetland's architectural, historical, and educational sites, ensuring public access and permanent displays for research purposes. Natural heritage is the provision, development and improvement of facilities for the enjoyment of the public of the Shetland countryside and its flora and fauna. It also involves conserving and enhancing the beauty of Shetland's countryside and ensuring public access for research, study, and recreation.

SAT focus on biodiversity restoration and conservation, encouraging interest in Shetland's natural world, and nature-based climate solutions. SAT aims to instil a passion for the outdoors through education and engagement, for all ages, to support health and wellbeing.

SAT is the managing agent for the UNESCO Global Geopark, which recognises Shetland’s internationally significant geological features and landscapes.

SAT receives core funding from the Shetland Charitable Trust, for heritage services so that people can be involved in a way that helps contribute to vibrant communities and a positive sense of belonging. 

SAT delivers Shetland’s Museum and Archives Services under a contract with Shetland Islands Council, delivering a wide range of cultural learning and engagement activities, and access to Shetlands heritage collections.

As part of the Shetland Partnership, SAT will work with individuals and community groups to inspire everyone to be invested in Shetland’s heritage, by passing on their skills, knowledge and passion, to celebrate and strengthen community identity.

Find out more about Shetland Amenity Trust on their website.

Hazel Sutherland, Chief Executive

Hazel believes the partnership can create mechanisms to engage with the community through a ground up approach and this is how best to serve the needs of the Shetland communities.

Over the next three years the Shetland Amenity Trust would like to see the partnership instil a level of confidence in communities and assure them that that they will continue to be assisted by all organisations within the partnership to thrive so that Shetland has a good future.

The greatest strength of the partnership, Hazel feels, is it enables smaller organisations to have contact with experts in their fields, which can positively impact the decisions and ideas around the work each organisation carries out. Whether it is about health, environment or learning, the Network can play to each other’s strengths without having to replicate it in their own organisations It is important that partners can access expertise and knowledge outwith the boundaries of their own organisational structures to help them make the best decisions to meet community needs.