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Community heritage

Community heritage

A group of people with handmade props and decorations
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.

Explore our available funding
Photograph of a young person sitting in the cockpit of a plane. Someone is passing him a helmet.
A trip to the RAF Museum.

Projects

Heritage Trips for Disadvantaged Young People

Young people with sickle cell disease and other genetic blood disorders and their families took part in social activities to experience local heritage, building confidence and connection.

Colourful handmade poster for the In Plain Sight project. Rainbows, flowers and an eye decorated with LGBTQ+ colours can be seen

Projects

In Plain Sight: A Story of Gwen Lally

This Bradford-based project will explore the history and traditions of Gwen Lally – a queer historical figure and the first woman pageant producer in England

Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral has received a £4.3million grant for their 2020s Development Appeal.

News

£5.5million awarded to conserve cathedrals and churches across the UK

From conserving magnificent stained glass windows to creating accessible facilities, these places of worship and community hubs will be thriving again – thanks to National Lottery players.
Newham family being photographed during Newham Heritage Month
Newham family being photographed during Newham Heritage Month.

Projects

London Borough of Newham

Newham Heritage Month is an annual heritage festival that celebrates the borough’s local heritage, led by the community for the community.

Six people posing for a picture in front of a Jazz music archive, including posters and frames
Engagement Manager Dawn Bainbridge (centre) on the job – visiting a jazz archive project

Blogs

Luton: A vibrant, diverse town with a rich heritage identity

Our Engagement Manager for England, Midlands & East, Dawn Bainbridge, tells us about our work and investment into Luton’s heritage – one of our 13 Areas of Focus.
Children and adults dancing and smiling
Pakiki Theatre group.

Projects

Who Wants To Be An Olympian?

Pakiki Theatre’s Who wants to be an Olympian? project explored the sporting heritage of the Olympics and Paralympics with young people in Newham.

Person from Newham Music Trust performing

Projects

Olympics 2012 Legacy Songbook

Newham Music Trust will create a music programme to help Newham’s schools explore the positive impact London 2012 had on the area.

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