What is an Area of Focus?

In our Strategic Funding Framework 2019–2024, we set out ambitions to provide targeted support to 13 places – ‘Areas of Focus’ – that have historically received lower levels of investment from us, and displayed the highest evidence of need based on data from the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

This was in response to National Lottery player consultation, which highlighted a desire to see money raised by The National Lottery targeted towards communities who would benefit the most from funding. 

We identified 13 Areas of Focus that have the potential to engage people with heritage for the first time:

• Brent (London and South)
• Corby (Midlands and East)
• Enfield (London and South)
• Knowsley (North of England)
• Inverclyde (Scotland)
• Luton (Midlands and East)
• Newham (London and South)
• North-East Lincolnshire (North of England)
• North Lanarkshire (Scotland)
• Neath Port Talbot (Wales)
• Rhondda Cynon Taff (Wales)
• Tendring (Midlands and East)
• Walsall (Midlands and East)

Our work in these areas

Our work is guided by a vision for heritage to support thriving places and communities.

Since 2019, our teams have been working with a wide range of stakeholders in the 13 areas – from Local Authorities, to heritage, community and voluntary sector organisations – to identify the best way to deliver positive outcomes through heritage.

In practice, this has included a range of activities to support local organisations with access to our funding:

• partnership working, including with other funders
• community and micro-grants schemes
• the ability to solicit or fast-track grant applications where a time-limited opportunity presents itself, such as significant government or other partnership funding
• commissioning specialist support or capacity building for organisations delivering heritage projects for the first time

At the midpoint of our Strategic Funding Framework, we have distributed around £18million to our 13 Areas of Focus, through The National Lottery and government funding.

Looking to the future

We will continue to seek opportunities to engage, invest and celebrate in the heritage of these places. 

Discover more of the work we are doing in our Areas of Focus below.