Community heritage
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.
Projects
Finding Ella Harling
The diaries of a wartime teenager were returned to her village community so they could discover her story.
Projects
Investigating South Tyneside womens' roles in the First World War
Women’s Health in South Tyneside spent a year discovering the profound role women playing during the First World War in their area.
Projects
Projection SEAS - a contemporary response to a historic archive
Young students excluded from school produced multimedia artwork inspired by a historic archive which earned praise and boosted their self-esteem.
Projects
Young people explored and shared migration stories in Luton
Young people gained new skills while preserving and raising awareness of Pakistani/Kashmiri heritage in Luton.
Projects
Madhouse: My House? Exploring the history of learning disability
Designed to connect learning disabled people with their heritage, this project delivered a training programme, website and exhibition, sharing the social history of learning disability in an accessible way.
Projects
Growing Together Thundersley - Developing a new community garden
A community-based project in Castle Point worked with people with mental health problems, dementia and learning disabilities to create a garden.
Projects
The Snowdonia and Anglesey Scouts and the First World War
1st Menai Bridge Scout Group are running a two-year project in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the closure of several local scout groups as their leaders and many scouts went to fight in the First World War.
Projects
Black on Both Sides: The Black British and Colonial Contribution to WW1
Young people from British African and Caribbean backgrounds looked at the role of black people who served on behalf of both the Allied and Central powers during the First World War.
Projects
Freedom Youth: the first 20 years
Freedom Youth is Bristol's oldest LGBT youth group. They marked their 20th anniversary by recording and interpreting the stories, memories and experiences of past members.
Projects
Chips, Curry and Cappuccino - the Diverse Food Heritage of Swansea
The Ethnic Youth Support Team led on a project to discover, record, and appreciate Swansea's multi-cultural food heritage.
Projects
Restoring St Matthew's churchyard restoration uncovers family history
Our grant helped to restore the churchyard of St Matthew's Church in Lightcliffe.
Projects
Attitudes towards disability and employment
The Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People created an exhibition aimed at changing attitudes towards people with disabilities in employment.