As the year draws to a close, I’m not just reflecting on 2024, but on the impact of National Lottery funding for heritage since 1994.

This year marked 30 years since the first lottery ticket went on sale and 30 years since the Heritage Fund was established to distribute good causes income to heritage projects.

In that time, The National Lottery has raised £50billion and we have invested over £8.6bn raised by National Lottery players in more than 47,000 projects across the UK.

People and projects making a difference

It’s an incredible milestone. And it’s even more incredible to reflect on the difference that funding has made for heritage, people, communities and the environment, across the length and breadth of the UK.

It was a joy to check in daily on our 30 projects across 30 years story to be reminded of the diversity of projects we’ve funded. I also enjoyed reflecting and reminiscing about some of the ‘game changing’ heritage moments chosen for the online exhibition hosted by the National Portrait Gallery.

As well as showing National Lottery players the fantastic impact they’ve had across the UK, the exhibition also poignantly highlights that none of those projects would have been possible without the passionate and dedicated people who manage, work and volunteer for the UK’s heritage. We collaborated with the land artist David Popa to honour just some of the ‘game changers’ for heritage with an installation at Whitby Abbey in October. It was a beautiful representation of their deep-rooted commitment and contribution to heritage.

Long-term, large-scale investment

2024 has also seen us looking forward to the future of heritage in the UK. From the jobs and volunteering opportunities made possible through a recent batch of grant awards, to our ambitious initiatives to connect landscapes and improve access to nature.

In our strategy, Heritage 2033, we set out how we wanted to proactively tackle heritage issues at large and cross-territory scale, accelerate new ideas and address gaps in proposals coming in through our National Lottery Heritage Grants.

We’ve already awarded over £2.5million to projects in our Heritage Places, including Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, North East Lincolnshire and Torbay. These investments are part of a £200m 10-year strategic initiative to help places thrive by unlocking the potential of their heritage, connecting communities and fostering local partnerships.

We’ve also been working with places of worship across the UK – including in Scotland and Wales – to support them to address their challenges and ensure they’re resilient community assets for generations to come. We recognise that churches, chapels, synagogues, gurdwaras and more are heritage that's in need. We plan to invest around £100m over the next three years to make this part of the sector more sustainable, secure and accessible and build skills to ensure its preservation in the long term.

Inspiration and connection

All these investments and initiatives are designed to ensure that heritage is valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. But I recognise that our funding alone won’t always be enough to achieve this vision.

What my colleagues and I hear when we meet with heritage organisations, and what you tell us through our UK Heritage Pulse research panel, is that it remains a tough operating environment out there. Your costs have gone up and your project budgets have needed to increase. Visitors have less disposable cash to spend at heritage attractions and environmental concerns, such as the recent flooding, can be difficult to predict and prepare for.

We are committed to supporting you where we can and will be as flexible as possible to achieve the best outcomes for heritage, including working with partners to understand the wider environment and sector challenges. If you have concerns about your project, please contact us to discuss how we might be able to help.

But what’s heartening amid the challenges is the optimism, and the evidence we see of the importance of heritage – to you and to your communities. And that’s why we do what we do. Why you do what you do. Because we believe in the importance of heritage and its ability to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.

These are powerful thoughts to hold in mind as we sat farewell to this year, prepare for the next and continue to work together for heritage.