Three groups in Reading, Worthing and Hampshire will celebrate previously unexplored stories of LGBT+ heritage to support and educate young people, particularly in LGBT+ communities, and give them a better sense of their heritage.

Stuart McLeod, Head of HLF South East England, said: “It’s fantastic that we can support these three great projects to shine a light on parts of history that have traditionally been overlooked. Thanks to National Lottery players, these fascinating stories will be rightfully brought to the fore and preserved for future generations - an important record of the challenges and achievements of the LGBT+ community.”

[quote=Stuart McLeod, HLF]“Thanks to National Lottery players, these fascinating stories will be rightfully brought to the fore and preserved for future generations.”[/quote]

The Wolfenden Report

Support U Ltd has been awarded £77,200 for a project researching and sharing the history of the 1957 Wolfenden Report, marking the 60th anniversary of its publication. Chaired by Lord John Wolfenden, then vice-chancellor of the University of Reading, the report changed the course of LGBT+ rights in Britain and eventually led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Working in partnership with the University of Reading and Reading Museum, Support U will create a documentary, an exhibition and educational materials about the report for local schools.

Find out more on the Support U Ltd website.

Voices for Heritage

Y Services for Young People has received £49,600 for their intergenerational oral history project recording and comparing the experiences of LGBT+ people of different generations in Hampshire.

The Voices for Heritage project will train young people to record the memories of older people in their community who grew up in a society where homosexual and transgender identities were less socially acceptable, and often even illegal.

Find out more on the Y Services website.

Wilde: Worthing rediscovers its lost connection

Worthing WOW has been awarded £9,700 for a project researching and celebrating Worthing’s connection to writer Oscar Wilde.

2017 marks 120 years since Wilde was released from Reading Gaol where he was imprisoned on charges on gross indecency. Just before his scandalous imprisonment, he holidayed in Worthing with his family and wrote his final play, The Importance of Being Earnest. The project will bring to life the Worthing of 1894, through a museum trail, an exhibition and a series of educational events.

Find out more on the Worthing WOW website.

Into the Outside

This month, there is also the opportunity to see the Into the Outside exhibition at Jubilee Library, Brighton. Led by Photoworks, and made possible by a HLF grant of £47,500, the project has enabled 13-25 year olds to explore Brighton & Hove’s LGBTQ+ past and create a new archive of queer youth experiences for the city. Their work will be on display until 19 March.

Find out more on the Photoworks website.