WARRINGTON Civic Society is confident that heritage can deliver an economic and wellbeing boost for the town.

The group has praised organisers following Saturday's Heritage Matters conference at Warrington Museum and Gallery.

John Shipley, who has led the relaunch of the group, believes there are exciting times ahead but said it is 'vital' for the society to reach out and continue gathering a 'critical mass' of passionate people.

"I would like to thank Janice Hayes and the team at Warrington Museum for organising the event," he added.

"Jonathan Schifferes, the Royal Society of Arts associate director responsible for the Heritage Index, also deserves to be applauded for sticking his head above the parapet, although the audience were not as critical as he might have expected.

"He was quick to acknowledge that the index was far from perfect, although it has certainly succeeded in provoking lively debate.

"Nobody claimed that Warrington does not face challenges, or that the town has not suffered from regrettable losses in the past.

"The focus of the event, however, and of Warrington Civic Society, is how best to harness heritage now and in the future.

"As Sara Hilton, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, made clear in her talk, not only can heritage bring economic benefits it also affects our wellbeing.

"The conference was a great opportunity to network with other groups who share our aims and we have taken away some ideas and contacts.

"I hope that this is just the first in many similar events."

To get involved warrington.civsoc@gmail.com