Community heritage
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.
News
People with learning disabilities tell their stories of friendship
A project celebrating the real life stories of friendships and relationships experienced by people with learning disabilities has been awarded nearly £400,000 of National Lottery funding.
News
Celebrating friendship thanks to the National Lottery
An innovative project capturing the real life stories of friendships and relationships experienced by people with learning disabilities has been awarded nearly £400,000 of National Lottery funding.
News
National Lottery funding helps mark 70th anniversary of the NHS
Thanks to National Lottery players, The University of Manchester will create the first shared social history of the NHS.
Publications
Funding for community asset transfer
Research examining how National Lottery funding has provided for projects that enable, support or follow a community asset transfer.
News
£3.5million National Lottery boost spells plain sailing for historic north Wales harbour town
HLF has awarded nearly £3.5million to regenerate the former slate quay on Caernarfon waterfront, transforming it into a vibrant shopping and tourist hotspot fit for the craftsmen of today.
News
Caernarfon’s Quay to Success
North Wales harbour town set for a prosperous voyage thanks to £3.5million National Lottery boost.
News
Manchester's invited to a Big Fat Asian Wedding!
Run by the charity Community on Solid Ground (COSG), the ‘Big Fat Asian Wedding’ project will introduce people all of ages, faiths and backgrounds to South Asian culture by researching the Islamic Nikah, or marriage ceremony, from the 1940s to the present day. The project aims to improve community
News
National Lottery players ensure the future of Pembroke’s medieval town walls
For the next 800 years Dating back to c. 1280 the walls were built after the outer ward of Pembroke Castle was completed, and now the Pembroke Town Walls Trust want to protect and preserve them for future generations. Modern Pembroke has successfully retained much of its medieval layout and
Blogs
From factory floor to centre stage
Helen Joy reviews ‘Tic Toc: the beginning’ – a musical about the vital role women played in Welsh manufacturing which was made possible thanks to National Lottery players.
Blogs
How the Great Place Scheme will help communities thrive
Wales is launching a Great Place Scheme to put culture at the heart of the local vision and ambition for the community.
News
Heritage and culture at the heart of Wales' great places
£1.5million National Lottery investment to promote a partnership approach to regeneration in Wales.
Blogs
Why do we celebrate LGBT heritage?
HLF Wales Development Manager Stephen Barlow reflects on the importance of celebrating his community's heritage