Community heritage
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.
Programme
15-Minute Heritage Grants (Round 2)
Grants of between £3,000 and £10,000 for capital projects in Wales that will encourage engagement with local heritage.
Pafiliwn y Mount, Fleetwood, Sir Gaerhirfryn
News
Good news for Love Parks Week
It’s Love Parks Week and seven country, coastal and urban parks are celebrating a £11.4million National Lottery investment.
Y pyllau ym Mharc Maenor Linford Fawr, Milton Keynes
News
National Lottery cash revives run-down UK parks
Country, coastal and urban parks among seven historic greenspaces being revived with £11.4million of National Lottery funding for Love Parks Week
Y Farwnes Kay Andrews yn croesawu'r newyddion am Wobrau Angylion Treftadaeth yng Nghymru
News
Heritage Angel Awards receive a warm welcome in Wales
Baroness Kay Andrews, Chair of HLF in Wales - and an award judge - has welcomed news that the Heritage Angel Awards, which celebrate the unsung heroes of heritage, are winging their way to Wales for the first time.
Mae PROCESSIONS gan Artichoke yn gwahodd merched ledled y DU i ddathlu can mlynedd ers i ferched allu pleidleisio, gyda chomisiynau gan mwy na 100 o artistiaid benywaidd.
News
Ballots for both: Britain celebrates centenary of women’s suffrage
Today marks 100 years since women over 30 and all men in Britain were given the right to vote under the Representation of the People Act 1918.
Publications
The story of us: heritage and communities
Research from Esme Ward, Clore Fellow, into how to best support communities in creating new heritage activity.
Liz Ellis, Cynghorydd Polisi Cymunedau ac Amrywiaeth CDL
Blogs
LGBTQ+ histories: where do you feel safe to be yourself?
Liz Ellis explains that feeling safe to be ourselves wherever we live, work, study or play is crucial to all of us.
Stories
Changing lives: instilling confidence in Port Talbot teens
A project examining Richard Burton’s diaries gave young people in Port Talbot pride in Wales, in their town, and in themselves.
Preswylydd â Syndrom Down yn cymryd rhan yn y prosiect Clywed y Cyn-Guddiedig
News
People with learning disabilities tell their stories of friendship
A project celebrating the real life stories of friendships and relationships experienced by people with learning disabilities has been awarded nearly £400,000 of National Lottery funding.
Preswylydd â Syndrom Down yn cymryd rhan yn y prosiect Clywed y Cyn-Guddiedig
News
Celebrating friendship thanks to the National Lottery
An innovative project capturing the real life stories of friendships and relationships experienced by people with learning disabilities has been awarded nearly £400,000 of National Lottery funding.
Aneurin Bevan, Minister of Health, on the first day of the NHS at Park Hospital, Davyhulme
News
National Lottery funding helps mark 70th anniversary of the NHS
Thanks to National Lottery players, The University of Manchester will create the first shared social history of the NHS.
Publications
Funding for community asset transfer
Research examining how National Lottery funding has provided for projects that enable, support or follow a community asset transfer.