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.

Members show off their craft
Members show off their craft

Projects

Sharing Sindhi Crafts

The Sharing Sindhi Crafts project used crafts as a way to bring people together and share long held traditions.

Archive picture of bus drivers

Projects

Aylesbury Town Natters

This project explored the period between World Wars in Aylesbury through research and interviewing locals about their experiences.

Clay Trails sensory walk
Clay Trails sensory walk

Projects

Clay trails sensory guide

This project saw the creation of a series of mini accessible and sensory-rich interpretation guides to the outdoor landscape of the clay trails in mid Cornwall.

First World War archive material including medals and photographs
Archive material from the Herts at War project

Projects

Herts at War 1914-1918

Communities across Hertfordshire explored their county’s experience of the First World War, engaging the public by creating an exhibition and website.

School children taking part in the Swaledale Big Dig

Projects

The Swaledale Big Dig

Swaledale Big Dig is uncovering and recording the archaeology and history of the local settlements of Grinton and Reeth.

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