Community heritage
![Visiting the 1950s hairdresser at Beamish Museum. Credit: Nigel Roddis The interior of a 1950s hairdresser's shop. A visitor is having their hair styled by a stylist in vintage clothing. A child sits in a high chair next to the visitor.](/sites/default/files/styles/main_image_desktop/public/media/imgs/Visiting%20the%201950s%20hairdresser%20at%20Beamish%20Museum%20credit%20Nigel%20Roddis%202.jpg.webp?itok=9ra5SSfo)
Since 1994 we have awarded £460million to more than 24,100 community and cultural heritage projects across the UK.
What do we support?
We fund projects that are researching, conserving and celebrating the heritage of a community or place.
These projects could include lots of types of heritage, such as people celebrating living customs or improving a historic green space. What's most important is that the project involves and benefits the community.
Project ideas
Our funding could help people:
- research the impact of a historical event on their town, and share their findings through displays, talks and online
- investigate the names on a war memorial
- crowdsource documents and photographs linked to the LGBTQ+ community, creating an online archive and exhibition
- set up an audio trail around a range of buildings, parks and monuments in a town
- enable a youth group to research their local history and create an animated film about their learnings
For more inspiration, see the stories below or browse projects we've funded.
How to get funding
If you have an idea for a project, we would love to hear from you.
![Anne Lister painting by Joshua Horner](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/Anne-Lister.jpg.webp?itok=VrlqAZ02)
News
Follow in the footsteps of ‘Gentleman Jack’ in Edinburgh
Projects
LGBTQ+ history in Llanelli
Llanelli LGBTQ+ Support have held events and activities to recognise and share the rich heritage of the town's LGBT+ community.
![The Georgian-era Cleveland Pools in Bath. An aerial view of the crescent-shaped Cleveland Pools. A Georgian lido in Bath](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/CLEVELAND%20POOLS.png.webp?itok=mUxYVuLa)
News
£13.5million to kickstart 22 heritage projects
![A young Shaper/Caper dancer A young Shaper/Caper dancer from Dundee performs with coloured, powdered paint](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/Shaper%20Caper%20paint%20dancer.jpg.webp?itok=8sbd2StH)
Projects
Here Me out: exploring Dundee’s young LGBTQ+ heritage
Youth dance organisation, Shaper/Caper is exploring the LGBTQ+ heritage and culture of Dundee in an oral history project, Here Me Out.
![A panoramic gallery view of the Pitt Rivers Museum](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/PITT%20RIVERS%20MAIN.jpeg.webp?itok=DEHLSB9G)
Projects
Beyond the Binary: Queering collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum
The University of Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum has collaborated with partners to reinterpret its collections from an LGBT+ perspective.
![The Hold volunteers at Suffolk Pride The Hold volunteers at their stand at Suffolk Pride](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/Pride%20volunteers.jpg.webp?itok=9VZI6_D4)
Projects
The Hold": A Suffolk Archives Service for the 21st Century"
Suffolk Archives' latest project sets to uncover and share the hidden LGBTQ+ stories from Suffolk's history.
Projects
Re-enacting the 100-year-old Lady Malcolm's Servants' Ball
A collective of performance artists re-enacted Lady Malcolm’s Servants’ Ball; a firm fixture of the queer scene in London almost a century ago.
![Woman with rainbow flag at Chester Pride](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/Chester%20Pride.jpg.webp?itok=wBeLrcPB)
Projects
Celebrating Cheshire's LGBT History
Body Positive has recorded and digitised the memories of the LGBT+ community in Cheshire, saving their legacy for future generations.
![Wednesbury High Street Heritage Action Zone.](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/HIGH%20STREET%20CULTURAL%20PROGRAMME.jpg.webp?itok=-4RCkXU6)
News
£3million National Lottery investment to bring culture to the high street
![Connecting communities in Northern Ireland with their local heritage Two adults and two children looking at a wall mural](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/Newtownards%20Road%20Heritage%20Trail%20National%20Lottery_0.jpg.webp?itok=UL2O4Rtd)
News
Connecting Northern Ireland communities with their local heritage
![Richard O'Leary](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/Richardshirtpic954_0.jpg.webp?itok=yrc7f2c2)
Stories
Conserving stories of Northern Ireland’s LGBTQ+ heritage
![£6million for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival Two people striking a dance pose in front of a 'Commonwealth Games' sign](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/imgs/Commonwealth%20Games%202022%20National%20Lottery.jpg.webp?itok=rLuP8zeL)
News