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Community heritage

Community heritage

The interior of a 1950s hairdresser's shop. A visitor is having their hair styled by a stylist in vintage clothing. A child sits in a high chair next to the visitor.
Credit: Nigel Roddis
Celebrating community heritage can help people come together, feel pride in where they live and save stories and traditions.

Since 1994 we have awarded £460million to more than 24,100 community and cultural heritage projects across the UK.

What do we support?

We fund projects that are researching, conserving and celebrating the heritage of a community or place.

These projects could include lots of types of heritage, such as people celebrating living customs or improving a historic green space. What's most important is that the project involves and benefits the community.

Project ideas

Our funding could help people:

  • research the impact of a historical event on their town, and share their findings through displays, talks and online
  • investigate the names on a war memorial
  • crowdsource documents and photographs linked to the LGBTQ+ community, creating an online archive and exhibition
  • set up an audio trail around a range of buildings, parks and monuments in a town
  • enable a youth group to research their local history and create an animated film about their learnings

For more inspiration, see the stories below or browse projects we've funded.

How to get funding

If you have an idea for a project, we would love to hear from you.

Explore our available funding
A man cycling on a bridge with the Harland and Wolff cranes visible in the background

Projects

CHFNI: Routes and Roots

A new cycling trail will connect Belfast’s communities and tell the story of the city’s industrial and maritime past.

Professor Uzo Iwobi stood outside

Stories

Celebrating a heritage hero, Uzo Iwobi OBE

Page last updated: 13 July 2022 Swansea resident Uzo Iwobi has provided an outstanding contribution to heritage in her 30 years living in Wales. Among her many achievements, Uzo founded two charities: Race Council Cymru and the African Community Centre. She is the Specialists Advisor for Equality to
Community growing area with sheds, signpost, path and planting areas

News

Local Places for Nature grant helping nature flourish in Burry Port

Pembrey and Burry Port Town Council have received a £50,000 Local Places for Nature grant from the Welsh Government and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The funding will help create permanent wildlife refuges and encourage biodiversity to flourish in an urban, mainly residential area. “Nature is
Anne Lister painting by Joshua Horner
©Shibden Hall

News

Follow in the footsteps of ‘Gentleman Jack’ in Edinburgh

People will be able to explore the LGBT+ history and culture of Edinburgh through a new walking tour following in the footsteps of diarist and world traveller, Anne Lister - whose life was depicted in the popular BBC series, Gentleman Jack.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.