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.

Women wearing uniforms, stood at tables in a factory, making biscuits.
Women working in Carr's biscuit factory

Projects

Celebrating the Spirit of the Cracker Packers

This inspiring community heritage project explores the fascinating lives of Carlisle’s ‘Cracker Packers’ through the ages.

Launch of Barnsley's LGBT History trail
Launch of Barnsley's LGBT History trail

Projects

Uncovered: Barnsley's LGBT Past

Barnsley LGBT forum have uncovered previously untold histories to create a digital education pack, documentary and local history trail.

Booklets displayed in a glass display case at an exhibition
Booklets displayed in a glass display case at an exhibition

Projects

Kashmiri Lives

Recording the culture of the Kashmiri community in Greater Manchester through the collection of memories.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of being legal to be gay in Doncaster
The project has brought local business, police and communities’ together and promoted understanding.

Projects

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of being legal to be gay in Doncaster

During the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act in 1967 which partially decriminalised homosexuality, the local Doncaster LGBT+ community have shared their experiences over the years in a poignant film.

Members of the group during film production
Participants producing a film about the industrial and social history of Winlaton

Projects

Winlaton's Industrial Past

Trained volunteers supported people with learning disabilities to explore the industrial and social history of Winlaton in Gateshead.

Flintspiration
Visitors take part in craft activities

Projects

Exploring Norwich's Medieval Churches Today

Norwich is home to the largest collection of medieval churches in Northern Europe. This project shared their stories with new audiences through a three day, city-wide event.

Participant feeling a piece of bark along with other items from the natural environment
An artist gets to grips with a piece of bark

Projects

Arts on Prescription - Heritage for Health

The project offers people experiencing mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety, the opportunity to connect creatively with heritage.

Filming of Finding Ella Harling
Filming for 'Finding Ella Harling'

Projects

Finding Ella Harling

The diaries of a wartime teenager were returned to her village community so they could discover her story.

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