Nathan Lee joins HLF from Arts Council England, and prior to that the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), working in a variety of senior management roles across the North and the North West since 2007.

He will head up a 17-strong team based in Manchester, responsible for promoting, assessing and awarding HLF grants throughout the region. Thanks to National Lottery players, HLF North West has a current annual budget of £19.9million for grant applications up to £2m supporting a wide range of heritage including the built environment, natural heritage and parks, archaeology, museums and collections, and culture and communities.

To date, HLF has awarded £763m to over 4,000 heritage projects across the North West. Some of the projects funded over the past 22 years include: The National Football Museum in Manchester, The Florrie in Liverpool, Westmorland Dales Hidden Landscapes and Haworth Stables and Motor House, Hyndburn.

Nathan Lee

Nathan Lee has over 28 years' experience working in the public sector.

Originally from Knaphill, near Woking, Surrey, Nathan’s university career in the West Midlands saw him obtain a First Class BA Honours in Fine Art from Stourbridge College of Art before heading to the University of Leicester to achieve a Distinction in an MA in Mass Communication.

It was in the early 1990s that Nathan first moved to the North, taking on posts at Bolton Metropolitan Council and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council within health management and planning services, before making the move into the NHS where he had a number of senior management roles working in health and social care planning at Trusts across the North West.

After 10 years in health, Nathan Lee made his move into the arts sector in 2007 with a senior appointment as Deputy Chief Executive/Head of Policy at MLA North West. He then became Regional Manager for MLA North West before starting at the Arts Council in 2011, working firstly in library services, then corporate planning, and most recently as Senior Operations Manager for the Arts Council North West, overseeing funding decisions, planning and risk management and area governance.

Nathan said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to grow my interest in the wider role of culture in society, and apply best management practice to sustain culture and heritage. I am delighted to be leading the team at HLF North West and am really looking forward to getting to grips with heritage at grassroots level across the region.”

Nathan also currently holds positions as a primary school governor (chair), and trustee of the Young People’s Support Foundation - a Manchester-based charity supporting young people to live independent lives.