Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration

Where: Clerkenwell, London

Quentin Blake has brought to life countless stories by popular authors, including Roald Dahl and Dr Seuss. His work, which spans seven decades, now has a permanent home in Clerkenwell, London.

Our £3.9m grant has helped create three galleries to showcase the breadth of illustration, with regularly changing exhibitions and a community garden and public green space.

Plan your visit to the museum which is open Wednesday–Sunday.

Union Chapel

Where: Islington, London

The Sunday School Hall is within the Grade I listed Gothic Revival Union Chapel and was once used by Victorian children who couldn’t afford education. It’s one of the last remaining Akron plan halls – a scheme from the 19th century that designed buildings to house Sunday Schools.

With our grant of over £3.2m, the hall has been renovated and its 200-year-old collection including music, social justice and London history has been transformed into a catalogued archive.

To celebrate, this summer it’s hosting the Your Story Festival with free community celebrations, including performances, exhibitions and talks.

Museum of Youth Culture

Where: Camden, London

From mods and rockers to ravers and emos, the museum tells the story of 100 years of youth cultural history.

The space has three galleries that bring together photography, artefacts, audio, fashion and print, showing the evolution of British youth movements across the decades.

Visit the museum for free Wednesday–Sunday.

Commissioner's House, Chatham Historic Dockyard

Where: Chatham in Medway, Kent 

Built in 1704 for Captain George St Lo, it has stood at the heart of the dockyard for more than three centuries.

Visitors can now explore the interiors of the house, including the Mars Crowning Neptune, a ceiling painting attributed to Highmore and Thornhill.

Plan your visit to the site, which is open daily throughout the summer.

St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark

Where: Newark, Nottinghamshire

The Grade I listed building in Nottinghamshire has been transformed into a vibrant community hub after restoration removed it from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.

Our investment of over £3.2m has protected the building for future generations, including conserving over 120 stained glass windows.

The church is open daily and offers guided tours taking visitors through more than 800 years of history.

Spurn Lightship

Where: Hull Marina, Hull

Built in 1927, the Spurn Lightship guided ships through the waters of the River Humber. It has now been restored as part of the Hull Maritime project, with new interpretation and displays that bring its full story to life.

We’ve invested over £18.5million in the Hull Maritime project to protect historic sites and share the city’s maritime heritage.

Book your free ticket to visit the Spurn Lightship in its new permanent home from Wednesday–Sunday.

Ripon Workhouse

Where: Ripon, North Yorkshire

Explore stories of poverty and welfare in Victorian England, located in the original Ripon Union Workhouse.

The museum offers activities for visitors to understand how people lived, worked and slept in the workhouse. This includes family trails, guided tours and even a chance of tasting gruel.

The museum is open daily for visits.

Tomb of the Eagles

Where: The cliffs of South Ronaldsay, Orkney

The Tomb of the Eagles has been a crucial part of the islands’ history for 5,000 years.

Our grant of £101,607 has helped South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust bring the site into community ownership. It has supported staffing and making the visitor centre accessible to all, including hands-on tour options, as well as opportunities to engage communities.

The archaeological site is open to the public daily.

Calanais Stones

Where: Isle of Lewis

The Calanais Standing Stones were erected between 2900 and 2600 BC and was an important place for ritual activity for at least 2,000 years.

The visitor centre is now open for a preview season ahead of its official launch later in the year. On site you can enjoy an exhibition, café and shop.

Book your ticket to the site open Monday–Saturday.

Annesley Walled Garden at Castlewellan Historic Demesne

Where: Castlewellan Forest Park, County Down

The 12-acre walled garden dates back to the 1850s. It’s one of Northern Ireland’s finest examples of a grand Victorian formal garden with collections of rare and exotic trees, shrubs and plants.

It’s part of the Castlewellan Historic Demesne project, which has used our grant of over £3m to protect and rejuvenate Castlewellan Forest Park, including restoring the arboretum which sits at the heart of the garden, adding 600 new trees to it. 

Entry to Annesley Walled Garden is free and open daily.

Stori Brymbo

Ble: Brymbo, Wrecsam

Mae hen waith dur Brymbo wedi'i drawsnewid i'r safle cloddio ffosiliau byw cyntaf, gan ddathlu 314 miliwn o flynyddoedd o hanes.

Bydd ymwelwyr yn mynd ar daith gronolegol drwy ffosiliau i lo, o haearn i ddur, o ddifodiant diwydiannol i adnewyddu ac ailagor.

Cynlluniwch eich ymweliad i'r safle, sydd ar agor o ddydd Mawrth i ddydd Sul.