| The National Lottery Heritage Fund

the exterior of a large stone church on a street

Townsend Street Church in Belfast.

Projects

Ulster Orchestra transforming Townsend Street Church into music and heritage centre

A landmark church, former school and memorial hall in Belfast will be restored and become the Ulster Orchestra’s new permanent home.

07/03/2024

Wildflowers by the sand dunes on the north coast of Northern Ireland

The Umbra is a wildlife-rich nature reserve in the Binevenagh Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Photo: Binevenagh and Coastal Lowlands Landscape Partnership.

Projects

Binevenagh and Coastal Lowlands Landscape Partnership

A five-year £3.4million project aiming to celebrate and connect local people with their unique landscape and heritage to build sustainable and resilient communities.

17/10/2017

The left side of the image shows a traditional Traveller wagon, painted with decorative designs, and the right side of the image shows a man leading a pony and trap which a girl is riding

The project held an outdoor fair-style event in June 2023.

Projects

Roma and Irish Travellers: A Shared Story

People from different cultures and backgrounds came together for workshops and celebration events about Roma and Irish Traveller cultural heritage organised by Armagh Roma Traveller Support.

27/02/2023

a ruined stone windmill building in the countryside

The ruins of a windmill dominate Saintfield Community Heritage Park.

Projects

Transforming Saintfield’s Windmill Field into a community heritage park

A National Lottery windfall for Saintfield Community Association will provide much needed free-to-access green space in the historic County Down village.

08/03/2022

Leaders of the project pose for a group photo

From left to right: Scott Cuthbertson, Director of The Rainbow Project, Mukesh Sharma, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland NI Committee Chair, Cara McCann, Director of HERe NI and Adam Murray, Community Development Manager at Cara-Friend.

Projects

Creating Northern Ireland’s LGBTQ+ heritage archive

A collaborative effort will record and share Northern Ireland’s modern LGBTQ+ history.

06/09/2022

A young woman walks through a moorland landscape

Walking at Divis and the Black Mountain. Credit: National Trust images/Chris Lacey.

Projects

Nature restoration and community access central to Divis and the Black Mountain transformation

Over £4.6million of heritage funding has been secured for Belfast’s largest urban green space over the past 20 years.

03/03/2020

The Court House, Bangor.

Projects

How a derelict building on Bangor’s seafront became Northern Ireland’s newest venue

Thanks to overwhelming community support, Open House turned a former bank and court house in Bangor into a contemporary music venue, saving it from dereliction.

13/03/2018

Donaghadee Harbour with a lighthouse and a number of boats.

Donaghadee Harbour. Credit Bernie Brown bbphotographic for Tourism Ireland

Projects

Sir Samuel Kelly Lifeboat commemorated with exhibition space in Donaghadee

Donaghadee Heritage has secured £90,000 to bring the story of the lifeboat and the town's history to life.

26/06/2023

A group of six women standing side by side with raised tea cups in their hands

Projects

You, Me and Tea

Exploring Northern Ireland’s association with tea, its trade links with India and China, and bringing diverse communities together.

24/06/2019

Northern Ireland Committee Chair Mukesh Sharma with Denise Murphy from The Woodland Trust at the new footbridge, which links Brackfield and Red Brae Woods.

Projects

Faughan Valley’s ancient woodlands open to the public

The Woodland Trust project is reconnecting people with the outdoors by using trees and woodlands to build a resilient landscape that’s a haven for wildlife.

13/03/2018

Illustrated map showing 58 UK UNESCO sites

The UNESCO illustrated map, showing 58 heritage sites across the UK. Credit: Tom Woolley / UNESCO

Projects

UNESCO launch a new illustrated map of the UK’s top heritage sites

Designed by Birmingham-based creative cartographer Tom Woolley, the map shows all 58 sites, cities and natural landscapes, helping to bring to life the huge variety of heritage on people’s doorsteps.

13/07/2022