English Heritage boost for Brixton

The streets of south London are being used in an advertising campaign by English Heritage designed to show its work is not just about preserving cathedrals and stately homes, but also markets, mosques and multicultural landmarks.

Accompanied by the slogan "English Heritage - It's Mine", the first of a series of full-page adverts appeared in a national newspaper showing reggae singer Eddy Grant leaning against a wall in Brixton's Electric Avenue, the street made famous in 1983 - and again this year - by his top 10 single of the same name.

The campaign aims to attract the interest of those who have hitherto felt alienated from the work of preserving England's past. Under the caption "I found inspiration in my roots", the Guyanan-born musician writes: "I found Electric Avenue in Brixton shortly after arriving here in the early Sixties. It was one of the first streets in England to be lit by electricity.

"But more importantly, it was a place that felt like home, a place where black people could exist and make our mark. We treasured it and now English Heritage is doing the same."

He points out that English Heritage provided grants to restore the facade of Brixton Academy, funded local shop owners, made Electric Avenue a conservation area, and supports urban regeneration elsewhere. The adverts urge people to to get in touch with English Heritage with details of a location or building they value. A spokeswoman for the organisation said: "We want to encourage people to give membership of English Heritage as a Christmas present while at the same time we want to broaden our appeal as an organisation."

Over the coming weeks more adverts will feature an undisclosed list of celebrities in locations that have inspired them.

The campaign follows on from English Heritage's report The Power of Place, which called for a change in the way the concept of heritage is viewed by the Government. Ministers are due to publish their response today.

The report advocated giving communities more say in the conservation of their areas and suggested the public valued more recent and populist buildings, such as classic pre-war cinemas, as much as they did churches and country houses.

A poll found many people cherished streets and neighbourhoods more than individual buildings.

"A key message of the report was that the historic environment is all around us," said the spokeswoman. "It's our streets, it's the places where we work, it's the places we experience everyday. It's not just historic buildings and stately homes."