A day out with HLF Chief Executive Ros Kerslake in Pennine Lancashire

A day out with HLF Chief Executive Ros Kerslake in Pennine Lancashire

HLF Chief Executive Ros Kerslake chats to volunteers at Mr Ibbit's 1917 shop in Bacup Natural History Museum
HLF Chief Executive Ros Kerslake chats to volunteers at Mr Ibbit's 1917 shop in Bacup Natural History Museum
HLF Chief Executive Ros Kerslake visited Pennine Lancashire in the North West, to meet people behind HLF projects and see the difference National Lottery funding is making. Here she gives us a taster of her recent tour.

Why were you in the North West ?

Pennine Lancashire is one of our priority areas for funding, and this has been a fascinating week seeing heritage projects from start to finish and the impact National Lottery investment is having on our communities.

I visited Blackburn Cathedral – currently developing an exciting project to create new exhibition spaces and reveal its hidden heritage. I was there to attend one of the North West’s regional committee meetings. It’s always a fantastic experience to work alongside our committee members as they decide what projects are going to get funded next!

Next, I was lucky enough to meet people from projects across Pennine Lancashire, from the restored Haworth Stables and Motor Museum in Hyndburn, to nature conservation in the South Pennine Woodlands, and First World War community projects at the local museum in Bacup.

What’s special about the projects you met?

Haworth Stables and Motor House was semi-derelict before a £552,500 National Lottery grant saved it from ruin. Now, it’s been fully restored by Hyndburn Borough Council as part of Grade II listed Haworth Art Gallery, offering fantastic studio space for local artists and makers.

Pennine Prospects is a wonderful project celebrating the ‘hidden heritage’ of the South Pennine Woodlands. It was a real privilege to meet volunteers working with young people, who, with just under £400,000 of National Lottery players' money, have been able to run over 68 forest school workshops involving over 500 children from Rochdale, Keighley, Halifax and Burnley.

Finally, it was really interesting to see just how much the small Bacup Natural History Museum is doing to explore the First World War thanks to a couple of £10,000 small grants made possible with money raised by National Lottery players. Nursing Heroes: The Fern Hill Story, and Keeping the Homes Fires Burning, are two innovative projects creating scenes from life at the local military hospital, to a recreation of Mr Ibbitt’s 1917 shop, stocking authentic produce grown by local children.

What’s a priority development area?

HLF has identified many areas across the UK where there have been fewer applications for National Lottery grants and we work closely with them to help them come forward with ideas for heritage projects.

In Pennine Lancashire this includes Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale. So far, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, HLF has invested just under £12million to 90 projects here since 2013, but we would love to hear about good ideas for more.

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