CORNISH cultural organisation Lowender has been chosen as one of 11 UK Community Support Hubs to assist the process of recording of the UK’s living heritage.

The 2003 UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage aims to recognise and safeguard the cultural practices, customs and skills that are transmitted within communities across the generations. Examples include Christmas pantomimes, Welsh male voice choirs, the skill of making tartan, and the Notting Hill carnival.

Now that the treaty has been ratified by the UK government, the first step is to create an inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the UK, and the UK government will be opening the submissions process this autumn.

Lowender will be a local point of contact that communities or groups can get in touch with for support. Its chief executive, Jowdy Davey, said: “Cornwall is full of living culture that is part of everyday life - pasty-making, gig-rowing, Mayday dancing, Christmas carolling, withy-pot making, fishing net mending and much more.

“We already have the UNESCO Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site, which recognises the impact and importance of our industrial past – now we have the opportunity to recognise and share Cornwall’s living heritage.

“We’ll be here to help people submit their practices for representation on the UK list. Lowender will be sharing as much information and guidance as we can to help Cornwall’s communities ensure their living heritage is represented this UK list.”

If your village, community or street has a custom worthy of inclusion, visit www.lowender.co.uk/ich or email [email protected].

Cornwall Council has launched a survey inviting people to provide information about a local knowledge, practice or skill, and whether it is perceived to be in danger of falling out of use. The survey is open until October 31 on the Let’s Talk Cornwall platform.