| The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Richard Kennedy stands in a living room in front of paintings and a bookshelf

Richard Kennedy was a founding member of Cara-Friend. Credit: Timothy O’Connell.

Projects

Founding Cara-Friend: Preserving At Risk LGBTQIA+ Heritage

18/02/2025

An exhibition and interviews celebrate the trailblazing founders and volunteers of Northern Ireland’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity.

30/09/2024

Two people look at an overgrown pond, one person is wearing waders

Restoring a green space in Brighton. Photo: The Wild Mind Project.

Projects

Wild Mind LGBTQ+ natural heritage wellbeing workshops

The Wild Mind Project is restoring a neglected green space in Brighton through nature programmes for the young LGBTQ+ community.

02/08/2023

Isle of Wight Pride. Photo: Héctor Manchego.

Projects

Pride In Self, Pride In Place: the NHS and LGBTQ+ culture on the Isle of Wight

StoneCrabs Theatre is gathering oral histories to uncover the role of the NHS in the Isle of Wight’s LGBTQ+ culture between 1980 and 2000.

24/03/2023

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

Two south asian people stand next to a banner with text: Club Kali Where East Meets West made possible with Heritage Fund

In-person and online activities will bring people together to share memories of the club’s past. Photo: Club Kali Network.

Projects

Where East meets West: Celebrating South-Asian LGBTQ+ Heritage through Club Kali Network

We’re helping the UK’s first safe space for LGBTQ+ people of South Asian heritage to preserve and showcase their history dating back to 1995.

08/05/2024

Queer Looks exhibition at Brighton Museum. Credit: Tessa Hallmann

Projects

Wear it out: The culture and heritage of LGBTQ+ dress in Sussex, 1917-2017

This cultural heritage project explored how some people from LGBTQ+ communities have historically used clothing to express identity. It focused on Sussex in the time period 1917-2017.

20/12/2016

Three young people making a film, one person is holding a microphone, another a clapperboard, and one person is waiting to be interviewed

Young people making a film as part of the I Me Us Boundless project. Photo: Pride In North Cumbria.

Projects

I Me Us Boundless: sharing stories of transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people in Cumbria

Through the collection of stories, this project will document the lived experiences of transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people in Cumbria.

12/01/2023

Two people preparing for a party. One person is having a temporary transfer applied to their face.

Two people preparing for a party hosted by Homotopia. Photo: Mike Parry.

Projects

The Power of Holly Johnson

This project aims to explore the rich history and lasting influence of Holly Johnson and the LGBTQ+ community on the cultural fabric of Liverpool.

04/05/2023

People look at an exhibition of LGBTQ+ people's stories

StoneCrabs Theatre held an exhibition of LGBTQ+ stories.

Projects

Out On An Island: 100 years of Isle of Wight LGBTQ+ oral histories

StoneCrabs Theatre collaborated with the community on the island’s first LGBTQ+ oral history project.

20/03/2019

Alison Kay, National Railway Museum’s Archives Manager and Ashlynn Welburn, Oral History Project Archivist at Eurostar. Photo: JK Doran

Projects

People, Pride and Progress: recording the histories of LGBTQ+ railway workers

Through the collection of real-life stories, this project aims to spotlight the LGBTQ+ community’s contribution to the railways for the first time.

11/04/2023

A group of black performers in colourful costumes at Stirling Castle

OMOS performers at Stirling Castle. Photo: Washington Gwande

Projects

Black heritage, performance and Shakespeare in Scotland

Inspired by the untold history of Black performance in Scotland, this project celebrates modern black LGBTQ+ performance and widens understanding and engagement with Black Scottish heritage.

16/03/2021