At The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we support all sorts of projects which explore and celebrate the heritage of diverse ethnic communities.

We want to support all communities to explore and share their heritage, enriching people’s lives and increasing the diversity of heritage workforces, leadership and audiences. That's why under our Heritage 2033 investment principles inclusion, access and participation must be part of every project we fund.

The terms we use

Some of the terms we use include:

• diverse ethnic communities, or ethnically diverse communities. In Scotland we use MECC (minority ethnic and cultural community). We have revised our usage of the term BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic).
• LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other identities)
• Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. This describes a range of ethnic groups or people with nomadic ways of life who are not from a specific ethnicity.

We use these terms because we believe they are widely understood. Identities can be complex and intersectional, and we are also aware that for many these terms may feel inadequate or limiting. We keep the language we use constantly under review.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month

Each June Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month celebrates the histories, cultures and traditions of a diverse range of Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and nomadic communities.

By sharing the stories and amplifying the voices of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people we can help to tackle prejudice and raise awareness about the past and present of the communities.

Our collection below showcases the diverse range of projects across the UK that we’ve supported to uncover, explore, and celebrate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller heritage. 

Get inspiration for your project

Explore the projects below and find out more about applying for our funding.