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.

International Womens Group hosting their Burns Night evening
International Womens Group hosting their Burns Night evening

Projects

International Haggis Journey

International Womens Group explored the connection between Scottish haggis and similar dishes from countries such as Syria, Iran and Egypt.

Participants measuring an archaeological sie

Projects

Ballintoy's Hidden History

Ballintoy's hidden heritage was uncovered through the community's exploration of the archaeology of Ballintoy village and the surrounding area.

Children taking part in Spinning Tops to Football Tops
Children taking part in Spinning Tops to Football Tops

Projects

From Spinning Tops to Football Tops

From spinning tops to football tops was a 12-week programme delivered in partnership with the grant holder Mini Millers and Rotherham United Community Sports Trust.

An icon, a simple line drawing of speech marks to represent oral histories

Projects

Pass on the Memories

Through this project, men and women in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia will be recalling and sharing their memories of working and living in Liverpool.

An icon of young people

Projects

Treuddyn Urdd Project

The community of Treuddyn, Flintshire worked on a project celebrating the ninetieth anniversary of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Wales' largest youth organisation.

People learning how to gild
Project volunteers at a gilding techniques workshop

Projects

First Base Heritage & History Project

Transforming a historic building and giving new hope, skills and self-confidence to homeless participants.

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