Share what funding for heritage and other good causes means to you

01/07/2026

A woman and two children looking at heritage object on a museum table.

A family at St Fagans National Museum of History, Wales.

The government wants to hear from you about how money raised by National Lottery players is invested.

This afternoon (1 July) UK Government has announced what’s known as a ‘call for evidence’ on what should be funded with money raised for good causes by National Lottery players.

National Lottery Good Causes: Fund what matters to you will be open for 12 weeks and aims to understand the priorities and needs of people and communities across the UK.

It’s a valuable opportunity to celebrate the impact of National Lottery funding, including for the UK’s heritage.

Every year we invest about £350million of good causes funding in projects across the UK that care for and sustain heritage, from the historic and natural environment to our museums, libraries and archives; from our industrial legacy to cultural traditions, stories, memories, celebrations and more. Since 1994, that’s £9.2billion in more than 48,000 heritage projects, thanks to National Lottery players.

We welcome the opportunity to contribute to this call for evidence and encourage you to get involved too.

A landscape with green hills and a lake at the base of them. — Cairngorms National Park, Scotland.

Simon Thurley, Chair of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to work with communities across the UK, funding long-term, ambitious, locally led projects that build pride in place and deliver lasting change. From our critical investment into beautiful landscapes like the Cairngorms and the Shropshire Hills, to our support for the transformation of towns and cities across the UK, to investments like the Manchester Museum, the Grimsby Youth project, St Fagans Museum in Wales and St George’s Market in Belfast, we know how funding for heritage brings communities together to celebrate and preserve the past while also driving regeneration, supporting nature recovery and creating skills and opportunities.

“This call for evidence offers the opportunity to hear first-hand from the public about what is important to them about what National Lottery funding supports, as well as all those involved in awarding and investing funding on how we can do this in the best way possible.

“We will work with our partners to ensure our funding continues to make a positive impact and that we make our funding decisions with strong insight on what matters most to local communities.”

Find out more and have your say on the UK Government website.