 We're just off Piccadilly in the heart of London's west end In a place which has played a great role in the story of the nation and in the culture of the world around us the geological society the royal astronomical society the Linnaean Society founded in the 18th century to study the history of nature and the Society of Antiquaries dedicated to the study of the past It's no exaggeration to say that the institutions around this courtyard have helped shape our world and in our troubled times They stand for really big ideas Enlightenment the pursuit of knowledge Humanism, but these institutions now in 2021 face a really big challenge a threat to the Continuance of their role in our public culture I'm Michael Wood. I'm a historian and a broadcaster, but I'm also a fellow of the society And I'm part of a campaign which is trying to keep the society here in Burlington house To continue its great role, which is tired for more than 300 years in the public culture The society is an educational charity. It promotes the understanding of the human past And its fellows men and women are elected because they've achieved distinction in this field These are some of the the fellows who founded the society in a London tavern More than 300 years ago, although its roots go back even further to Tudor times incredibly And here are some of the fellows and researchers who are working today Today the society is a hub of research, exploration and discovery It's home to over 40,000 objects, paintings, prints and drawings People come from all over the world to study the collections here Where enthusiasts meet the experts and new ideas are born in the library in the lecture room And this is the library. Just look at that World famous. 130,000 books and manuscripts that have been gathered or gifted since the 18th century Over 50 heritage charities use the building to support their activities each year And the society is also a key resource for early career researchers from around the UK Who come here to explore the collections and to meet a network with its fellows The society's remit is to protect and foster public understanding of our heritage A lot of the things you see today on TV have the society's work behind them For instance the analysis and the publication of the Staffordshire Horde And not to mention the story that lies behind Richard III And the value of the society's contribution to our national cultural life is incalculable It's a medieval chronicle in the form of a genealogical tree Incredibly it's more than 40 feet long The section you can see was compiled in the mid 15th century to prove the descent of King Henry VI It goes from Adam and Eve to the time when Henry's claims to the throne were being fought over by Lancastrians and Yorkists It's unbelievable The detail of it is absolutely stunning isn't it? This is every biblical personality I've heard about this but until you actually see it in the flesh as they say It's staggering isn't it? Because this is being produced at the same moment that the Lancastrians and the Yorkists are actually fighting over the question of the bloodline And here it is depicted for you And this is just one of the astounding number of treasures that the society keeps care of However the rent here at Burlington House is set by the government And it's risen by over 3,000% over the last 10 years And it's still increasing As a self-funding charity the society will soon no longer be able to afford to stay here Unless this is resolved the society will have to consider selling off part of its collection And if that happens we're going to lose a precious part of our national heritage But the government does have the opportunity to save the situation To do what they did in 1874 when they first brought the society here In other words to provide a safe secure long-term environment in which the society's work can continue So I hope you'll support this campaign to keep the society of antiquaries here in Burlington House So it continues the work which has gone on now for more than 300 years