The Heritage Lottery Fund celebrated the 15th anniversary of the lottery in Scotland with a highly successful event held at the Pearce Institute in Govan. Opened by Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, hundreds of people turned up to celebrate the area’s fascinating history and to share their fondness for its characters and traditions.

An engaging array of exhibitions and performances included Hill Street Primary School captivating history project, Govan Reminiscence which had a variety of old school yard games to try, Historic Scotland ran a slideshow of 1960s and 70s images of the area while Galgael, a Govan charity that offers disadvantaged youngsters the chance to try out boatbuilding, sailing and carving skills, brought along one of its traditional wooden boats. 

Local radio interviews and a memory tree captured people’s thoughts on their past while the highlight of the day was a unique performance by Fablevision which blended footage, soundtrack and live performance to reflect the spirit and spectacle of Govan's rich cultural heritage.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has, in the last fifteen years, invested over £1/2 billion in imaginative projects across Scotland, helping people to discover, explore, enjoy and preserve their history. Investing in the heritage has a real impact on modern community life. Giving a much-loved but run-down building a new lease of life can attract other funding, create jobs, provide education and attract tourism. In fact, in Scotland, every £1million of HLF funding attracts further £1.1million from partner organisations.

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, was delighted with the success of the event:  “This was an afternoon with a real buzz filled with laughter and chat as we celebrated what makes Govan Govan. What struck me was the real sense of community and identity that exists here. Govan has a rich and fascinating past which, with the help of Heritage Lottery Funding, is being given a brighter future.”