Community heritage
Visiting the 1950s hairdresser at Beamish Museum. Credit: Nigel Roddis
Celebrating community heritage can help people come together, feel pride in where they live and save stories and traditions.
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.
Stories
25 years: discovering the origins of grime and connecting communities in Waltham Forest
Since the National Lottery began 25 years ago, more than £20million has been invested in Waltham Forest’s heritage. It’s restored historic buildings, helped nature thrive and rejuvenated streets. It’s also explored some incredible community stories, including the history of grime music. “It’s helped
Stories
25 years: Derry Girls star takes us on a tour of her home city
Derry~Londonderry Also known as the Walled City thanks to its historic 17 th-century walls, Derry~Londonderry is Northern Ireland’s second-largest city. It is home to over 150,000 people and a wealth of heritage treasures, including museums, arts venues, cathedrals, parks and waterways. Over the
Blogs
25 years: the promise of better days – how National Lottery funding helped transform Northern Ireland’s second city
Indeed, 25 years ago was a time of great hope and greater belief as we saw the end of a violent and dark time in our history and the promise of better days emerging. It was against this backdrop that the relationship between The National Lottery Heritage Fund and this city began to take root. It is
News
25 years: restoring the prosperity and pride of Blaenavon
Blaenavon: a community reborn Perched high on a South Wales hillside, Blaenavon is a community forged from the heat, smoke and dust of the Industrial Revolution. Its ironworks and coal pit provided the majority of the town’s residents with employment until 1980. The town's shops, churches, chapels
News
25 years: voices from Blaenavon
For over a quarter of a century, The National Lottery has been a major catalyst to revive and regenerate communities across the UK through heritage. We visited Blaenavon to see how National Lottery funding has helped this once beleaguered post-industrial town revive its fortunes and restore its
Stories
In conversation: Jan Pimblett and Veronica McKenzie on archives and collecting stories of LGBT+ people’s lives
The pair discussed the importance of involving a diverse range of people in their work and how crucial it is to document ordinary people's lives. They also reflected on the progress made by the LGBT+ community over the past 50 years, as well as the challenges they still face. It was an insightful
News
The first six months: our Strategic Funding Framework
2019 has been an exciting year for The National Lottery Heritage Fund. In January we changed our name and branding, and with it the way we work and distribute our grants. We now have open programmes of funding for all kinds of heritage, from £3,000 up to £5million. In June we launched the Heritage
News
Grand reopening for Great Yarmouth's Venetian Waterways
The 90-year-old tourist attraction in the seaside resort has undergone a £1.7million regeneration.
News
Remembering the Peterloo Massacre – 200 years on
In 1819, more than 60,000 people from across Greater Manchester gathered in St Peter’s Field to protest for justice, the right to vote and freedom from oppression. Despite their peaceful means, the day was to end bloodshed. While the crowds listened to renowned orator Henry Hunt’s address, local
Blogs
How Thanks To You made a big difference to a small project
Julie from Fairhaven Lake, Lancashire, reveals how taking part in the Thanks To You campaign was more than just a fun day out.
Brighton Pride, 1995. Credit: Sally Munt
Blogs
Future-proofing heritage: experience and advice from Brighton LGBT+ leaders
Lesley, Chief Executive of New Writing South, and David, Co-Artistic Director of Marlborough Theatre, are collaborating on the project, Building Brighton LGBTQ+ Heritage. The project involves: skills development for volunteers establishing a youth board building capacity strengthening partnerships
News
Free family events for the summer holidays
The summer holidays are perfect for spending quality time outside with your loved ones. Need inspiration for what to do? These nine National Lottery funded ideas are a breath of fresh air.