Thriving Places
![People sitting in a sunny park, near a bandstand](/sites/default/files/styles/main_image_desktop/public/media/imgs/Bandstand_Pearson%20Park_North_0.jpg.webp?itok=JeMxxCvU)
What we mean by place
‘Place’ can mean many things, and definitions vary depending on where you are or who you ask. But examples include a local community, a natural landscape or an entire city.
How heritage supports great places
Many areas across the UK have a ‘sense of place’ that inspires local pride and increases wellbeing.
Heritage sits at the heart of a place’s identity, adding depth, character and value. This can include buildings and monuments, landscapes, high streets and parks.
Heritage helps connect people and communities to a place and boosts local economic prosperity.
Our funding for heritage projects
We welcome projects that take a 'place-based approach'. Place-based working is about:
- identifying challenges and opportunities in the heritage of a place
- developing responses which bring about benefits for both the heritage and the place
- thinking beyond an individual project by considering how it relates to your local area and community
- partnering or coordinating with other organisations to increase the impact of your project
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently prioritising projects that create better places to live, work and visit, and boost local economies.
See our funding programmes to find out how to apply.
A place funder, not just a project funder
We also support place-based working by:
- devolving decision-making, which enables locally based staff, with local expertise, to assess applications and make awards
- addressing under-representation in our funding of geographical areas experiencing deprivation
- working with local councils and others to connect our funding to wider local priorities
- working with national partners and agencies on major place-based initiatives
Running a place-based project
Need help or inspiration?
You can find useful guidance here:
And discover how heritage can create better places in the project examples below.
![Dancers perform an Indian classical dance called Bharatanatyam at the Global Roots Festival in Knowsley. A group of young people perform an Indian classical dance called Bharatanatyam.](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/global_roots_festival_knowsley_young_producers_credit_knowsley_council_11_3.jpg.webp?itok=jP7u2ypB)
Blogs
How targeted support has helped Knowsley's heritage thrive
Projects
Supporting people in Knowsley to explore their heritage
The Knowsley Golden Thread project will champion inclusivity and enable groups, organisations and local communities to drive their involvement in heritage.
![a night-time view of Great Yarmouth's waterfront](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/great_yarmouth_-_shutterstock.jpg.webp?itok=RKfnwkym)
Stories
Case study: heritage supporting revitalisation in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft
Projects
Great Yarmouth Winter Gardens - Reimagining the People's Palace
Great Yarmouth Borough Council is restoring the UK’s last surviving Victorian ironwork seaside winter gardens.
Basic Page
Strategic initiatives
![Albert Avenue outdoor swimming pool in Hull An aerial view of Albert Avenue outdoor swimming pool in Hull](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/albert_avenue_-_credit_esteem.jpg.webp?itok=OsrsQR3R)
Projects
A lido revolution: championing outdoor swimming
The Pooling Resources project, led by Future Lidos, has developed and delivered a digital toolkit to support the revival of lidos across the UK.
![Helen Featherstone, Director of England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund A head and shoulders image of Helen Featherstone](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/helen_featherstone_headshot_c_roth_reed_photography.jpg.webp?itok=8mMqumzP)
Blogs
A year as Director of England, North: resilience and saving heritage
Publications
How our targeted funding is improving confidence and collaboration
![Court House, Bangor Front elevation of The Court House, Bangor building in the evening.](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/954x536_court_house_bangor_0.jpg.webp?itok=xKd8eD7W)
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.
![Nottingham City Council parks A person walks on a path under trees and next to a lake in summer](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/nottingham-city-council.jpg.webp?itok=G40iS_M4)
News
Two awards for a programme putting nature at the heart of thriving urban places
![Ted, owner of Etty & Tyler along with his sons Ted at his shop in Forest Gate](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/042_et_1_0.jpg.webp?itok=yU5ejCCm)
Projects
Full Cycle: a history of cycling in Forest Gate
This project will look at the cycling history of Forest Gate in Newham – an important cycling epicentre in the late 19th century close to Epping Forest.
![Torquay on the South Devon coast, with Torre Abbey in the foreground.](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/torre_abbey_drone_5_copy_1.jpg.webp?itok=10H1h81K)
News