The National Lottery Heritage Fund

We are celebrating 30 years of the National Lottery at Whitby Abbey! 🎉 This milestone not only marks the incredible journey of the National Lottery but also highlights the extraordinary impact it has had on the UK heritage sector. Today, we recognise seven remarkable Game Changers – from founders to activists and trailblazers – who have transformed the landscape of heritage through their commitment and innovation. Their achievements are celebrated in a stunning art installation by New York artist David Popa, titled ‘The Heritage Tree’. This installation wraps around the iconic Whitby Abbey and symbolises the deep-rotted contribution of these individuals to our heritage. Made from organic pigments, the artwork will naturally fade and return to nature over time. We invite everyone to reflect on the inspiring stories behind these individuals and the vital role of National Lottery in supporting heritage projects across the UK 🙌 To read more about, click here: https://lnkd.in/enUsC2aj #NationalLottery30

#HeritageJobs! Explore our latest vacancies. Head of Innovation and Partnerships 📍Location: Any of our offices across the UK, except London (Hybrid) 🗓️ Deadline: 20 October The primary purpose of this post is to lead the Heritage Fund’s innovation and partnership function. It is responsible for identifying, leading and managing new approaches to the way that we work and address our business challenges. Digital Content Manager 📍 Location: Any of our offices across the UK, except London (Hybrid) 🗓️ Deadline: 20 October The primary purpose of this post is to deliver user-centred content for The National Lottery Heritage Fund website and other digital channels. You will plan, create, edit and upload news, stories, blogs, features and videos, as well as essential information and guidance for our applicants and grantees. Investment Manager 📍Location: Edinburgh Office (Hybrid) 🗓️ Deadline: 22 October The primary purpose of this post is to work as part of the Investment Team to deliver investment activity across Scotland including providing advice and guidance to applicants, assessing and monitoring a wide range of applications/projects, post completion work, participating in outreach activities and supporting the delivery of the Scotland team plan. Find out more, and apply 👉 https://lnkd.in/djKMVse

Autumn has most definitely arrived, but today we’re looking back on a jam-packed, heritage-filled summer! From breathing salty sea air or adventuring in the great outdoors 🍃to exploring mind-blowing museums and discovering quirky hidden gems, we hope #HeritageIsOpen inspired you to head somewhere new. Here’s a reminder of some of the special places, funded thanks to #NationalLottery players, we’ve shared with you lately: · Fern the Diplodocus in her leafy habitat, the new Evolution Garden at the Natural History Museum, London. · Sculpture trail in the Faughan Valley, home to some of the last remaining pockets of ancient woodland in Northern Ireland. · Loch Craignish on the Argyll coast, where we’re supporting @Seawilding’s community-led native oyster and seagrass restoration project. · Manchester Museum’s ‘Wild’ exhibition challenges how we relate to the natural world and looks at the ways people across the globe are healing their connections with nature. · Community-led projects at Ynys Cybi, off the coast of Anglesey, ensure the land and coast is enjoyed responsibly and secured for future generations. · The only underground mine tour in Scotland, found at the Museum of Lead Mining in Wanlockhead, the highest village in Scotland That’s a wrap for this year! Drop us a comment and let us know whether you visited any of these unique places, or tell us what #Heritage adventures your autumn has in store?🍁  

Last month our Board of Trustees visited Stoke-on-Trent. Since 1994, we have awarded over £33million to support heritage across city, from the finest collection of Staffordshire pottery at the Potteries Museum the green spaces of Hanley Park Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Through a series of site visits our Trustees enjoyed learning about the job opportunities created at the World of Wedgwood to the Middleport Pottery. Since 2023, Stoke-on-Trent has also been one of our Heritage Places, receiving a share of £200million of funding to boost pride in place and connection to heritage across whole places rather than individual projects. To find out more, click here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eB2magqQ

As part of our £30million investment in heritage projects across the UK, we are excited to announce more inspiring initiatives that will positively impact biodiversity, community engagement, and heritage conservation. Here are some of the projects receiving support: 🏛️ Watford Borough Council Museum & Heritage Service has been granted £2.4million to relocate the museum into the historic Grade II Listed Town Hall, creating new public spaces that better serve local communities. ⛪ All Saints Church will use £558k for the conservation and repair of heritage assets, including 12th-century stained glass windows and tomb monuments. 🏠 Project Tullie: Breaking Down Barriers in Carlisle has received £4.4million to transform Tullie House Museum into a sustainable cultural hub connecting Cumbria to the world. 🙌 Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum: The Synergy Project is awarded £1million to enrich understanding of the local chemical industry’s heritage and its broader significance. 🌲 Whose Hoo receives £2.9million for large-scale conservation on the Hoo Peninsula, increasing biodiversity with new elm trees and community engagement. 🌿 Exmoor National Park Pioneers: Past, Present and Future has been granted £1.2million to protect the heritage and landscape of Exmoor, including tree planting and conservation projects. 🌊 Downs to the Sea South Downs National Park Authority secures £1.6million to restore wetlands, supporting biodiversity and resilience against drought. 🏰 Reimagining Margam Castle in Wales has been awarded £900k for vital restoration works, enhancing sustainability and accessibility. 🏫 Bushmills' Old School Project in Northern Ireland receives an initial £29k to develop plans to restore the building as a community space and visitor centre. These projects reflect our commitment to preserving the UK’s rich heritage and enhancing the communities that surround them. Thank you to #NationalLottery players for making this possible! To find out more click the link: https://lnkd.in/e-fCtZVN

We are delighted to announce £30million of funding to 15 exceptional heritage projects across the UK, in celebration of The National Lottery’s 30th birthday! 🎉 Here are the highlights of the funded projects: 🛥️ Tilbury Riverside Station: The HMT Empire Windrush docked in 1948, bringing over 800 members of the Windrush generation to the UK. A £4.4million grant will transform this iconic site into a vibrant community hub with artist studios, a café, and permanent exhibitions exploring the port's rich historical role. 🪵 Riverwoods Scottish Wildlife Trust: A Blueprint for Riparian Woodland Recovery in Scotland has been granted £1.8million to tackle the decline of riverside woodlands. This significant investment aims to restore 1 million square metres of habitat, with community involvement planting 110,000 trees. 🌲 With a generous grant of £4.6million, Crystal Palace Park Trust is set to undergo major improvements. This funding will help this 200-acre park, enhance accessibility, restore its iconic dinosaur sculptures, and increase biodiversity, with an anticipated 35% boost in visitor numbers. 🏛️ The Ripon Museum Trust project: Inspiration for a Fairer Future has secured £2.5million to improve visitor experiences at a Victorian Workhouse and Georgian Prison. This funding will support educational initiatives focused on justice and community engagement, aiming to reach 4,000 families through new trails and visitor experiences. 🍺 Menter y Plu will benefit from a funding boost of £1million to transform this traditional pub into a community hub combating social isolation. This project aims to create up to 8 jobs and facilitate 32 volunteer opportunities, fostering connections within the rural area. 🪴 The Nerve Centre: Working with international artist Oliver Jeffers, Power Plants has received £255k to engage communities across the UK on biodiversity loss and conserving our natural heritage. This investment will provide 60 volunteering opportunities, creative workshops for schools and a touring, immersive sculptural installation. The project funding will support 87 jobs and apprenticeships, 620 volunteer roles and 100,000 trees to be planted, this is just the beginning of an incredible journey. Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, commented: “These wonderful projects demonstrate the astonishing breadth of heritage that people value and want to pass onto future generations.” We are excited about the positive impact these projects will have on our communities and the preservation of our heritage. Thank you to #NationalLottery players for making this possible! To find out more click the link: https://lnkd.in/e-fCtZVN

‘The more you know of your history, the more liberated you are’ – Maya Angelou 🖤 #BlackHistoryMonth2024 is all about #ReclaimingNarratives and to celebrate, we’re revisiting some incredible projects we’ve supported that reclaim the heritage, and celebrate the cultures and stories, of black communities: 🖤 Over 200 young people from diverse ethnic communities in Birmingham and the Black Country shook up the status quo when they took part in Don’t Settle, a 2019 partnership project that used heritage to give the young people a voice. 🖤 HeLa cells have made possible medical breakthroughs that have changed modern life; but Henrietta Lacks, the 31-year-old black woman these cells were taken from, has often been forgotten. We supported the University of Bristol to share her story. 🖤 Noticing young people they worked with were struggling to be more involved in heritage because their diverse community is underserved by traditional heritage offerings, the Congolese Development Project ran Cocorico! to ‘make people wake up, learn and share their heritage.’ 🖤 A Light that Never Fades tells the true story of Arthur Wharton, the world’s first black professional footballer and the first official fastest man on the planet. The film is used as a resource to educate about black heritage, equality and diversity in schools, colleges and community hubs across the north east of England. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eP8aBKwe

Meet our Game Changers 🤩 Seven inspirational individuals championing different kinds of heritage. Creating real and lasting impact through their work: 🔭 Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement Teresa Anderson MBE helped secure the observatory’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. She is passionate about connecting people with science and encouraging them to think about their relation to the universe. 🦔 From working with London Wildlife Trust to presenting wildlife TV, Chantelle Lindsay’s love of nature is at the heart of all she does. Alongside it, a strong commitment to connecting young people with nature and making wildlife and conservation accessible for everyone. 🌱 The Eden Project’s co-founder Sir Tim Smit says he aimed to ‘create a place where people would reconnect with the natural world and be inspired by what’s possible when we come together with a shared purpose.’ His work has transformed the landscape of UK plant conservation. 🍃 Sandy Bremner is Convener of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, where he leads transformative projects to improve biodiversity and tackle the challenges of climate change. Passionate about working with communities, he’s helping people and nature to thrive together. 🏳️🌈 Lisa Power MBE, ‘the matriarch of LGBTQIA+ activism’, has campaigned for the rights and championed the heritage of the UK’s LGBTQ+ community since the 70s. She coordinated Icons and Allies, a project honouring trailblazing LGBTQ+ figures and allies from across Wales. 🦈 Marine Biologist Heidi McIlvenny believes the natural environment is a vital part of our heritage, and that conservation projects help people notice and care about nature. She’s making a splash through her work on Ulster Wildlife’s ‘Sea Deep’ shark conservation project. 🚢 Arthur Torrington CBE has dedicated his life to amplifying voices of the Windrush Generation. As co-founder of the Windrush Foundation, he’s travelled the UK gathering stories of Caribbean settlers, preserving the legacy of their incredible contributions to Britain. We’re so grateful for all they’ve done and continue to do for our shared heritage 👏 To learn more, click the link: https://lnkd.in/enUsC2aj

We’re very excited to share an incredible transformation… 😍 The Grade I listed Calverley Old Hall was considered one of the most at-risk buildings in England. Built from the 12th century onwards, it recently sat in a state of disrepair with fractured masonry and fallen timber. The Landmark Trust have now restored and converted the medieval building, securing it for future generations as a self-catering accommodation and a community space. It's now open! Find out more: https://lnkd.in/emJJ87EN

Millions of people in the UK’s urban neighbourhoods don’t have green space near home, despite evidence showing that nature makes us healthier, happier and more connected within our communities. We’re working with Natural England and National Trust to help tackle this in towns and cities across the UK.  Nature Towns and Cities will support local authorities and community organisations in over 100 UK places to bring nature into every neighbourhood, by creating new green spaces, improving existing ones and connecting them up through greener streets and neighbourhoods.  We’re offering local authorities and their partners a package of support including capacity-building grants, peer networks to share expertise and solutions, and schemes to attract new investment. To find out more, click here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eFtdrbdR Submit your interest in applying for a grant before 12 November: https://lnkd.in/ejPQvF_B