Stories of the steel industry and memories of pigeon fancying will be shared in Redcar and Cleveland while the history of parades and The Customs House will be explored in South Tyneside.

Steel stories

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has been awarded £69,800 work in partnership with Teesside University to collect stories and memorabilia of the iron and steel industries from Tees Valley communities. An exhibition called ‘Year of Steel’ will be created at Kirkleatham Museum and taken on tour.

[quote= Ivor Crowther, Head of HLF North East] “Money raised by National Lottery players is enabling communities in Redcar and Cleveland and South Tyneside to explore their heritage – but there is still so much more to discover." [/quote]

Pigeon fancying

Skinningrove Bonfire has been awarded £4,500 to explore the history of pigeon fancying. Pigeons were the theme of this year’s bonfire and this project will build a treasure trove of artefacts and memories based on a much-loved regional pastime.

History of parades

The Creative Seed CIC has been awarded £48,800 to discover the history and social impact of parades, processions and marches in South Tyneside - from Miners' Galas to today’s multicultural Summer Parade.

The Customs House and chap books

The Customs House Trust Ltd has been awarded £3,900 to enable children recruited through South Tyneside Fostering Services to explore the history of The Customs House and recreate chap books – an early form of publication created from a single sheet of paper and often containing folk and children’s literature.

National Lottery funding for South Tyneside and Redcar and Cleveland

Ivor Crowther, Head of HLF North East, said: “Money raised by National Lottery players is enabling communities in Redcar and Cleveland and South Tyneside to explore their heritage – but there is still so much more to discover. These areas are currently priority areas for National Lottery funding and I’d like to encourage those with ideas to get in touch!”

With fewer National Lottery funding awards and applications compared to the rest of the North East, South Tyneside and Redcar and Cleveland are currently priority areas for funding for HLF and staff work closely with organisations to develop strong applications and to ensure heritage stories from these areas get the recognition they deserve.