In fact, Visit England recently designated Nottingham as the Home of English Sport.

And with Leicester City’s recent Premier League success and the UK athletics team set to warm up for the Rio Olympics in Loughborough, sporting history is being re-written here in 2016.

So we've launched a new campaign in the East Midlands to encourage more applications for heritage projects around the theme of sports.

[quote]We particularly want to hear from organisations who have never considered running a heritage project before and those who work with young people.[/quote]

Thanks to National Lottery players we have already supported a number of projects in the region with sporting connections: from football, rugby, cricket and hockey -  to bottle kicking, Shrovetide and parachuting.

All these sports are a huge part of many people’s everyday lives and an important aspect of the UK’s history and identity. They can also inspire more people to learn more about and share their heritage.

So whether you want to or explore the history of your club or ground, the impact of an event or competition or the role that sports played in the First World War, we have grants available through our open programmes, starting at £3,000.

We particularly want to hear from organisations who have never considered running a heritage project before and those who work with young people.

Are you game?

Get in touch to discuss your ideas and keep a look out for the workshops and events we’ll be running throughout the East Midlands later in the year.

Our next event takes place on Monday 19 September at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham. You can book your free place via our Eventbrite page.