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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
Artistiaid Argraff – Caernarfon
Artistiaid Argraff – Caernarfon

News

Caernarfon’s Quay to Success

North Wales harbour town set for a prosperous voyage thanks to £3.5million National Lottery boost.
Manchester's invited to a Big Fat Asian Wedding!
Manchester's invited to a Big Fat Asian Wedding!

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
Muriau Trefol Penfro
Muriau Trefol Penfro Grwp

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
Helen Joy
Helen Joy

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.
Stephen Barlow yn gwenu at y camera, gwisgo crys glas
Stephen Barlow, Rheolwr Datblygu CDL Cymru

Blogs

Why do we celebrate LGBT heritage?

HLF Wales Development Manager Stephen Barlow reflects on the importance of celebrating his community's heritage
Digwyddiad i bobl ifanc yn edrych ar hanes modern a chanoloesol drwy ffotograffiaeth
Digwyddiad i bobl ifanc yn edrych ar hanes modern a chanoloesol drwy ffotograffiaeth

News

Heritage, but not as we know it

Thanks to National Lottery players, young people across Wales are about to embark on a game-changing project that looks at the past in a whole new light.

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