Seven historic buildings we’re funding to become community hubs

02/09/2026

the deputy mayor and a group of people in a museum looking at building plans

The Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council looks at plans for Ballycastle Museum. Credit: Causeway Coast and Glens Museum Services.

From a cart and wagon shed on the site of the UK’s first war dog school to the oldest building in Britain’s first recorded city, explore recently-funded projects restoring historic spaces as venues for local people and visitors.

We’ve awarded grants to over 300 projects since 1994 that have transformed historic buildings and natural heritage spaces into dedicated hubs for public activities supporting learning, training and wellbeing.

Our local teams fund communities to restore and reuse the historic places that matter to them, and achieve their potential to make a difference to people's lives and local economies.

Community hubs provide social, mental health and shared learning benefits for all and, critically, give new life to formerly redundant buildings.
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Discover the projects

Shoeburyness Cart and Wagon Shed, Southend-on-Sea

Our £402,000 grant is supporting plans to reinvigorate a community hub and wayfinding centre for visitors that will share the history of the Essex town. Shoeburyness was used for testing guns and ammunition for the army and navy from 1850 and as a military base during both world wars. It’s also where dogs were trained as messengers, sentries and for patrolling there during the First World War.

Ballycastle Museum, County Antrim

Two 18th-century buildings on the high street of this coastal town are being restored and refurbished as part of an expansion of its community-focused local museum. Dr Nic Wright from the project spoke to us recently about overcoming challenges and how on-the-ground engagement has created a buzz in the town for the £2.1m project.

dogs run towards sheltering soldiers, black and white historical photograph — Hundreds of dogs were trained at Shoeburyness to serve on the frontlines during the First World War.

Stricklandgate House, Kendal

This Georgian building is already a valued centre for delivering community services across Kendal, Westmorland and Furness. Our £4.6m grant will restore the building and upgrade its accessibility so it can better serve local charitable, voluntary and community sector needs.

Holt Methodist Church, Norfolk

Activities benefitting local people will be at the heart of the project, following conservation and enhancement of this unusually grand place of worship in rural Norfolk, thanks to our £475,000 grant. Working with HoltYouth Project, which serves around 200 local young people, the project will run cookery lessons and provide respite meals for young carers.

Holy Trinity Church, Colchester

Our grant of £2.65m starts a new chapter in the 1,000-year history of Colchester’s oldest building. Urgent conservation will remove the Grade I listed building from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and repurpose it as a welcoming community space open daily to the public for the first time since 2017.

aerial view of a stone church with square tower and churchyard — Roman bricks can be seen in the church's tower, reused from nearby Roman buildings when the church was constructed. Credit: Inkpen Downie Architects.

Hebrides People Visitor Centre, Isle of Harris

Our £1.2m funding will help refurbish and expand this centre – which tells the story of the people of the Outer Hebrides – and support more family tree and heritage research and Gaelic language learning.

Rock Hall, Bolton

We’ve awarded Bolton Council and Lancashire Wildlife Trust £4.4m to renovate this derelict Grade II listed historic building. It’ll be turned into a centre for celebrating local heritage through creative interpretation, exhibitions and event programming.

red string and pins on a world map showing connections between the Hebrides and other places — A pinboard at the Hebrides People Visitor Centre charts people's connections to the Outer Hebrides.

Regenerating historic places for the benefit of current and future generations

By restoring the old rather than building new, these projects will have a lower environmental impact and support traditional heritage skills while retaining the individual character of their areas, neighbourhoods or towns. And as useful spaces for local people and visitors to learn and have fun, they will help people connect with each other and the past.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Heritage has a unique role in building pride in place and connection to the past, bringing people together where they live, work and visit.

“Community hubs provide social, mental health and shared learning benefits for all and, critically, give new life to formerly redundant buildings.”