Community heritage

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 ruined stone windmill building in the countryside

The ruins of a windmill dominate Saintfield Community Heritage Park.

Projects

Transforming Saintfield’s Windmill Field into a community heritage park

A National Lottery windfall for Saintfield Community Association will provide much needed free-to-access green space in the historic County Down village.

08/03/2022

Museums and Heritage sign at the awards ceremony

News

Six organisations shortlisted for Sustainable Project of the Year 2024

The Museums + Heritage Awards have announced the shortlist for the sustainability category. Discover how these projects are demonstrating best practice.

14/03/2024

People look at a huge illuminated moon artwork suspended in a medium-size church

Museum of the Moon by Luke Jerram is 6m in diameter and shows the moon’s surface using stunning NASA imagery. Credit: Jenny Harper.

Stories

Discover the pioneering woman scientist who mapped the moon

Mary Blagg is being celebrated by her hometown with activities to get people interested in her story and scientific heritage.

Two people wearing Reimagine, Remake, Replay tshirts using filming equipment at an event

Reimagine, Remake, Replay is a Kick the Dust programme that ran in Northern Ireland.

Blogs

Techniques for supporting young people's wellbeing during heritage projects

How Kick the Dust projects worked to create high quality environments for participants.

05/03/2024

Computer render of the refurbished Winter Gardens: and iron and glass building with open spaces, lush plants and visitors.

An artist's impression of the redevelopment plans for the Winter Gardens. Credit: Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

Projects

Great Yarmouth Winter Gardens - Reimagining the People's Palace

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is restoring the UK’s last surviving Victorian ironwork seaside winter gardens.

29/06/2021

An aerial view of Albert Avenue outdoor swimming pool in Hull

Albert Avenue outdoor swimming pool in Hull. Photo: Esteem.

Projects

A lido revolution: championing outdoor swimming

The Pooling Resources project, led by Future Lidos, has developed and delivered a digital toolkit to support the revival of lidos across the UK.

05/12/2022

A family look at a bird nesting box display

RSPB Belfast Window on Wildlife is offering free entry. Credit: Brian Morrison.

News

Hundreds of special heritage offers across the UK this spring

National Lottery Open Week is back, taking place from Saturday 9 to Sunday 17 March.

27/02/2024

People wear colourful clothes and hold banners and rainbow flags at Isle of Wight Pride.

Pride celebrations on the Isle of Wight. Photo: Héctor Manchego.

Stories

LGBTQ+ heritage organisations share their advice on how to run great projects

We’re proud to be supporting projects that are saving the heritage of the LGBTQ+ community and sharing these stories to build understanding and inclusion.

People look at an exhibition of LGBTQ+ people's stories

StoneCrabs Theatre held an exhibition of LGBTQ+ stories.

Projects

Out On An Island: 100 years of Isle of Wight LGBTQ+ oral histories

StoneCrabs Theatre collaborated with the community on the island’s first LGBTQ+ oral history project.

20/03/2019

Two people talking and walking through a parkland

People walking through Kingswood Park. Credit: South Gloucestershire Council.

Projects

Kingswood Park receives £2.6million for restoration

Kingswood Park in South Gloucestershire is the only significant local green space for its community.

14/09/2021

A head and shoulders image of Helen Featherstone

Helen Featherstone. Photo: Roth Reed.

Blogs

A year as Director of England, North: resilience and saving heritage

Our Director of England, North Helen Featherstone reflects on her first year in the role, the needs of heritage organisations in the North and our commitment to supporting resilience.

15/02/2024