Community heritage
Act for Action CIC, recipients of a community heritage grant from One Knowsley. Photo: Act for Action CIC.
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.
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.
Stories
Making friends through heritage: four stories
Nelli and Zara Aratta: Armenian Heritage in the North West Zara, project manager: We were organising a food event on Albert Square and I posted about it on Facebook to see if people would like to take part. Nelli messaged me straight away saying that she would make a few dishes and bake a cake
News
National Lottery Awards shortlist announced
Nominations have been drawn from the past quarter of a century to celebrate The National Lottery’s 25th Birthday.
News
South London pub reopens after £4million from National Lottery
The Fellowship And Star in Bellingham, once home to boxer Henry Cooper, set to be heart of community once more.