5 Steps to ... bringing a historic building back into community use

1. Find out about the building. Discover who owns it, how old it is, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and what makes it important, says Kate Clarke, deputy director of policy at the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). But beware of trespassing, says Architectural Heritage Fund chief executive Ian Lush. "If it's privately owned, you need permission to go into the grounds," he says.