Awarded through HLF’s First World War: then and now programme, the project will focus on stories of individuals, families and the Otley Community during the First World War and its aftermath.

The aim is to produce a booklet and to mount a multi media exhibition in the town from August to November 2014. Maps will show every person on the town’s war memorials at their local family address and detail their burial or memorial sites in areas of conflicts. Accompanying displays will be based on several themes: Service and Loss, The Home Front; Industry and Women’s Work; Hospitality for Belgian Refugees; The Impact of Farnley Hall Training Camp on the Town; Post War Experiences.

The museum collection covering the First World War is extensive. Photographs, documents and objects will be used to illustrate the chosen themes and give a deeper understanding of the part Otley played in this major event. It is also an opportunity for groups and individuals to share their own stories which will be added to the archive or to be involved in some way as the project progresses.

Afterwards this resource will be available to everyone in some form for personal research or loan to local schools and community groups.

Commenting on the award, Meryl Auty, said "We are thrilled to be in the first batch of these new HLF Awards. We are all volunteers committed to preserving Otley’s heritage and this project provides an opportunity to bring an important part of the collection into the public consciousness."

Explaining the importance of the HLF support, the Head of HLF in Yorkshire and the Humber, Fiona Spiers, said: “The impact of the First World War was far reaching, touching and shaping every corner of the UK and beyond. The Heritage Lottery Fund has already invested more than £15 million in projects – large and small – that are marking this global Centenary; with our new small grants programme, we are enabling even more communities like those involved in Legacies of War: Untold Otley Stories to explore the continuing legacy of this conflict and help local young people in particular to broaden their understanding of how it has shaped our modern world.”

Notes to editors

Otley Museum is nationally accredited and independent (not local authority funded). It is managed and staffed entirely by volunteers who are dedicated to conserving, recording and interpreting Otley’s historical resources for the benefit of this and future generations. The unique character of this museum is represented by several significant collections relating to the development of Otley & District since prehistoric times, giving a fascinating insight into Otley’s heritage and a key resource for both the amateur and professional researcher.

HLF-funded First World War projects include:

First World War Centenary Project, IWM London
An HLF grant of £4.5m is transforming IWM London (part of Imperial War Museums) by creating new ground-breaking First World War Galleries.

Flintham Society – Keeping the Home Fires Burning?
Keep the Homes Fires Burning? is a community history project looking at the impact of the First World War on life in the Nottinghamshire village of Flintham.  

Tank Museum – Access all Areas, Dorset
Holding the world’s finest tank and armoured vehicle collection, The Tank Museum is a popular visitor attraction in the heart of Dorset. HLF’s grant is being used to house 130 ‘at risk’ vehicles, putting the entire collection indoors for the first time.

Through its First World War: then and now programme, HLF is making at least £1million available per year for six years until 2019. It will provide grants between £3,000 and £10,000 enabling communities and groups right across the UK to explore, conserve and share their First World War heritage and deepen their understanding of the impact of the conflict. 

To find out how to apply for funding visit First World War: then and now. If a group needs a grant of more than £10,000 for a First World War project, it can apply to HLF through its open programmes.

UK Government Centenary plans
In June 2013, the Government set out its plans to mark the centenaries of the First World War commencing in 2014. These plans include a £35m refurbishment of the First World War galleries at the Imperial War Museum (IWM). The Government’s principal partners in the commemorations will be the Heritage Lottery Fund and the IWM, but will encompass support for a multitude of other initiatives, large and small, as they come together in the months and years to come.

Further information

Otley Museum Archive on 01943 468 181 or otleymuseum@btconnect.com 

Meryl Auty, First World War Team, Otley Museum Archive on 0113 261 1232 or meryl.auty@ntlworld.com