SHARE aims to safeguard rural culture & heritage to preserve cultural diversity: a key economic driver & generator of social cohesion. Rural heritage is an asset & resource of EU territories; its quality plays a vital part in making rural areas sustainable & attractive. particularly in the town-country balance. SHARE will show crisis-hit European economies how to stretch public & private finances to safeguard rural heritage whilst meeting high quality standards. Rural areas. even the most disadvantaged. have tangible(physical) & intangible(non-physical) elements linking past. present & future; i.e. buildings. skills. traditions & practices of recognised societal. cultural. & architectural value. This heritage contributes to the quality of life of inhabitants & the attractiveness of areas to those who live there & to visitors. Partners have different approaches & knowledge of traditional skills to share. to: archive. restore buildings & structures. preserve artefacts & interiors. interpret & commercialise these heritage assets. Partners will share methods to engage different sectors to undertake work & learn new skills. e.g. volunteers. visitors etc. providing opportunities for job creation. economic development & social integration. Partners will develop & test methods based on transnational cooperation to: ? Increase local appreciation. interest & conservation of rural culture & heritage. with long term commitments of all stakeholders. ? Engage & equip volunteers & trainees with heritage skills. ? Ensure high quality restoration. conservation & maintenance of tangible & intangible heritage. ? Establish a competency based European Heritage Skills Passport Scheme to revive rural skills & engage artisans & volunteers in restoration & conservation projects. ? Create a transnational method to record traditional rural skills. referenced to high standards for future research. ? Undertake conservation pilots in 4 areas working locally & transnationally. Achievements: In partnership with Merthyr Tydfil, the National Trust, the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (New Dutch Waterline), the Province of Gelderland and Ille-et-Villaine, a three-year project was launched aimed at the (economic) revitalization of valuable landscapes. The partners met regularly to exchange information and ideas about raising awareness and appreciation of rural culture and heritage, landscape management, restoration and the cost-effective re-use of assets. Kempens Landschap was responsible for developing Wortel and Merksplas colonies. The project expanded sheep-grazing to manage the pastures and provided the financing to restore the Large Farm (Grote Hoeve) in Merksplas colony and the prison in Wortel colony.