Thriving Places
What we mean by place
‘Place’ can mean many things, and definitions vary depending on where you are or who you ask. But examples include a local community, a natural landscape or an entire city.
How heritage supports great places
Many areas across the UK have a ‘sense of place’ that inspires local pride and increases wellbeing.
Heritage sits at the heart of a place’s identity, adding depth, character and value. This can include buildings and monuments, landscapes, high streets and parks.
Heritage helps connect people and communities to a place and boosts local economic prosperity.
Our funding for heritage projects
We welcome projects that take a 'place-based approach'. Place-based working is about:
- identifying challenges and opportunities in the heritage of a place
- developing responses which bring about benefits for both the heritage and the place
- thinking beyond an individual project by considering how it relates to your local area and community
- partnering or coordinating with other organisations to increase the impact of your project
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently prioritising projects that create better places to live, work and visit, and boost local economies.
See our funding programmes to find out how to apply.
A place funder, not just a project funder
We also support place-based working by:
- devolving decision-making, which enables locally based staff, with local expertise, to assess applications and make awards
- addressing under-representation in our funding of geographical areas experiencing deprivation
- working with local councils and others to connect our funding to wider local priorities
- working with national partners and agencies on major place-based initiatives
Running a place-based project
Need help or inspiration?
You can find useful guidance here:
And discover how heritage can create better places in the project examples below.
News
Nature Towns and Cities launches with £15million investment
Projects
Rejuvenating the habitats of the Solway Firth
Our funding will support a council-led partnership to protect and celebrate the natural environment of one of Britain’s most important estuaries.
News
£10million funding milestone for North East Lincolnshire’s heritage
Projects
Protecting the natural heritage of North East Lincolnshire’s coastline
The project will invest in skills and capacity to research and protect the natural salt marsh and sand dune environments of the Humber Estuary.
News
£10million awarded to help save Birnbeck Pier
Projects
London Blue Chain: creating thriving networks for nature
Along a historic walking route across southeast London, this project is creating a corridor of freshwater habitats and connecting local communities with their natural heritage.
Projects
Saughton Park restoration project
The improved historic park in the south west of Edinburgh provides vital support for the community's wellbeing.
News
£15million to help put nature at the heart of our towns and cities
Projects
Sharing Barrow's past, present and future
The Dock Museum in Barrow-in-Furness has undergone a major refurbishment to celebrate the area’s rich shipbuilding and engineering heritage.
Projects
Newbridge’s arts and heritage hub safeguarded for the community
This historic miners’ institute, with its 1920s Art Deco theatre, ballroom and versatile spaces now hosts a variety of activities that benefit local people.
Projects
Securing a future for iconic buildings at Grimsby Dock
The Peterson’s Project has restored two important buildings of fishing heritage to their former glory following National Lottery support.
Stories