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Community heritage

Community heritage

A group of people with handmade props and decorations
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.

Explore our available funding
Edinburgh Printmakers

News

Edinburgh’s pioneering Wellington boot factory reborn

The people of Fountainbridge in Edinburgh are this weekend celebrating the reopening of a building they love - a symbol of their industrial past and a reminder of how their community was shaped by the Wellington boot.
Two young men

Stories

Changing lives: volunteering helps Ben turn away from trouble

The youth club at the Galley Centre offered the young people of Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, a reason to keep off the streets and out of trouble. But when bored teenagers, including some of 17-year-old Ben's friends, vandalised the centre, the youth club was closed down. It left them with nothing to do
Rom Skatepark

News

The story of the Hornchurch skatepark that made history

The Hornchurch site holds a very special place in the hearts of skaters and BMX riders across the world. Supported by The National Lottery, they have come together to tell their stories, the story of Rom and now the fight to secure its future. A little corner of California Built during a very rainy
Liz Ellis

Blogs

LGBTQ+ heritage: building an inclusive future

At the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we want to support an inclusive heritage sector. Policy advisor Liz Ellis highlights some of the LGBTQ+ heritage projects we have been proud to support.
Jaded in a park

Stories

Changing lives: Jade's journey from care to college

In her 22 years, Jade has experienced more hardship than most people encounter in a lifetime. Born to a heroin addict mother, Jade spent most of her childhood in the care system. Asked about the happy times in her childhood, Jade is unequivocal: the years living with her grandma in Trimdon village.
Exhibits in a museum

Projects

Black History live

Black History Live revealed the stories of Kent’s African and Caribbean residents of the 18th and 19th centuries.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.