1. Home
  2. Our Work
  3. Community heritage

View as PDF

Community heritage

Community heritage

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.
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.

Explore our available funding
A group of black and white archive images featuring people with disabilities in the workplace.
A collection of images from the QEF archive.

Projects

Attitudes towards disability and employment

The Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People created an exhibition aimed at changing attitudes towards people with disabilities in employment.

Women in World War I: The Welsh Experience
Margaret Ann Lloyd and friend at Mannesman Ammunitions

Projects

Women in World War I: The Welsh Experience

This 12-month project focused on the hidden histories of women in the First World War. It marked the Centenary of 1915 – the year when women were first actively encouraged to undertake work traditionally performed by men.

Volunteers testing the digital trail

Projects

Out and Proud Histories in Greater Manchester

The Out and Proud project explores and celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) histories and heritage across Greater Manchester using digital technologies.

People standing in front of a puppet war horse
Peckham War Horse Project

Projects

Peckham War Horse Project

Communities from Peckham came together to recreate a photograph of war horses destined for the Western Front.

Geophysical survey at Cawood with community archaeologist, Jon Kenny
Geophysical survey at Cawood with community archaeologist, Jon Kenny

Projects

Keesbury Manor in Cawood: from manor house to market garden

Volunteers from Cawood in Selby have been trained as heritage detectives to investigate the archaeology of their local moated manor site and the surprising importance of gooseberries for the development of the village.

Part of the display at Reading Museum
Part of the display at Reading Museum

Projects

History of Chinese People in Reading

The history of Chinese migrants in Reading, so far undocumented, is now available to all thanks to a heritage project spanning multiple generations.

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