October 2026 Message from the Centre Manager: Sam Grove

Message from the Centre Manager – October 2026

September was an unusual month for myself and the Discovery Centre. At the beginning of the month I received a very unexpected email from Europa Nostra, one of Europe’s largest citizens’ movements to protect European culture and heritage, offering me a place on their Inclusive Heritage Residency in Malta – in just 10 days time. After entering panic mode followed by a quick discussion with others at TDC, it was confirmed that I would be jetting off to Valletta to take part in this amazing opportunity. 

Organised in collaboration with INTO (International National Trust Organisation) and Din l-Art Helwa, Malta’s National Trust, the week-long programme aims to strengthen capacity and connections of heritage organisations across Europe. Ten European heritage professionals were selected to attend and exchange best practices, discuss key challenges and explore strategies for building strong and resilient heritage organisations while supporting more inclusive, sustainable and community-led approaches to heritage protection.

We spent the week learning from Din l-Art Helwa’s inspiring work to save Malta’s built and natural heritage in the face of rampant commercial development and over-tourism, meeting their volunteers and experiencing just a few of the many sites they care for. Throughout the week each of us were able to share some of our own challenges, and contribute ideas to help work through some of these in a collaborative atmosphere. This really highlighted the value of peer-learning and exchange across wide contexts, as many of us shared similar challenges despite our varied organisations and experiences; namely funding, capacity and attempting to advocate for the value of heritage in today’s society.

While meeting Din l-Art Helwa’s volunteers and touring some of their sites during the Residency I was repeatedly reminded of the Discovery Centre and our own dedicated team of volunteers. In fact, much of the advice and experience I had to offer was how we have managed to create a welcoming and supportive atmosphere at the Discovery Centre thanks to our passionate team. It was uplifting and inspiring to see how engaged and motivated others on the Residency are in their own heritage work, and I certainly learned a lot having spent just a week in their company.

Now that we are coming into our last month of the season, most might expect things to start slowing down. However, September happened to be one of our busiest months of the year in terms of visitor numbers. Thankfully our volunteers demonstrated their dedication and kept things running at TDC during my time in Malta, from day-to-day operations to taking over prep for our talk by Kenneth McElroy from the Caithness Broch Project. 

Since October is Black History Month, our talk will be given by Dr David Alston on 22nd October, titled ‘The Rosses of Cadboll and Berbice (Guyana): Kindred Spirits?’. Author of ‘Slaves and Highlanders: Silenced Histories of Scotland and the Caribbean‘, David will reveal the story of the Ross family of the nearby Cadboll estate and their connections in Guyana, including the story of their mixed-race children. 

Black History Month aims to deepen understandings of the achievements and resilience shown by Black and minority ethnic individuals, and highlight the significant roles they have played in influencing Scotland’s past and present. David’s talk will be a great chance to learn about parts of our history which are typically excluded from traditional narratives, and shine a light on the voices of those who are often unheard in the archive. Tickets can be purchased here.