Community heritage
![Visiting the 1950s hairdresser at Beamish Museum. Credit: Nigel Roddis 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.](/sites/default/files/styles/main_image_desktop/public/media/imgs/Visiting%20the%201950s%20hairdresser%20at%20Beamish%20Museum%20credit%20Nigel%20Roddis%202.jpg.webp?itok=9ra5SSfo)
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.
Projects
Black Poppies Exhibition; Southwark and the black British First World War heritage
This project explored the lesser-known story of the black contribution to the First World War.
Projects
Friends of Bowling Park - Preserving our heritage for future generations
Friends of Bowling Park have developed and trained their members to protect the park for the future.
![Back-a-yard Two young people look at a photo](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/projects/shaundaughterlenaine.png.webp?itok=YvdC25Ii)
Projects
Back-a-yard
This project was designed to give young people the opportunity to preserve the heritage of the African Caribbean community living in Newport.
![Each One, Teach One Young people collect oral histories](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/projects/oh-13-21647_herculesproductionsintergenerationaloralhistory_jpg.jpg.webp?itok=S2DqE6gA)
Projects
Each One, Teach One
The project brought together young and older people to explore the built heritage of Hulme and Moss Side from the 1950s to the present day.
Projects
Seeing our History: Living with Sight Loss in Edwardian Edinburgh and Lothians
Seeing Our History uncovered the life histories of blind and partially sighted people living in the Edinburgh area between 1903 and 1910.
![Gypsy, Romany and Traveller site](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/grt.jpg.webp?itok=XZY7rdh8)
Projects
Family Lines, Family Trails
Using National Lottery money, The Romani Cultural and Arts Company have been able to record, celebrate and preserve the cultural heritage of Gypsy and Traveller communities in South Wales.
Projects
A War Unheard
Young drama enthusiasts formed the Eden Court Collective, a theatre company that set out to explore and share the untold stories of warfare.
Projects
Working The War
A group of young people researched the personal stories of families who worked in the local torpedo factory during the First World War.
![Children at the Bradford YMCA Tea and Remembrance project Children at the Bradford YMCA Tea and Remembrance project](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/projects/yr-13-06955_tea_rembrance.jpg.webp?itok=AR8pJAML)
Projects
Tea and Remembrance: Bradford YMCA’s First World War project
Within days of the outbreak of the First World War, the YMCA had established 250 tea huts in the UK providing refreshments for soldiers heading to war. As the war progressed, these huts evolved to serve hospitals, POW camps and training centres.
Projects
Exploring our heroes - the impact of World War 1 on the people of Havant
Outside their lesson time, a group of students investigated the lives of people from Havant during the First World War and created a film, website and book.
![The Friends of Concord Beach The Friends of Concord Beach](/sites/default/files/styles/hlf_xlarge/public/media/the_friends_of_concord_beach.jpg.webp?itok=3H0oJ44i)
Projects
Educational mural depicting the flooding of Canvey Island in the great storm of 1953
This project generated interest from the Canvey Island community and artists alike by creating a mural of the 1953 flood that affected the area.
Projects
Introducing school children to ancient meadows
Rotherfield Millennium Green Trust worked with Rotherfield Primary School to introduce local children to the heritage of their local landscape.