19 July 2010

Heritage Lottery Fund

This month we talk to Katharine Boardman from the Heritage Lottery Fund about applying for funding for a heritage project...

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is the largest funder of heritage in the UK. It has 3 main grant programmes that can fund projects from £3,000 upwards: Your Heritage (£3,000 - £50,000) and Young Roots (£3,000 - £25,000) which are aimed at small community and voluntary organisations and the Heritage Grant scheme (grants of £50,000 or more) for projects that relate to the national, regional or local heritage of the UK. All projects must help people learn about, get involved in and conserve their heritage.

But what is heritage? Most people assume that heritage is all about buildings, museums and archives, but at HLF we believe that there is much more to heritage than meets the eye. For us, heritage includes a wide range of themes, including people's memories, cultural traditions, the natural environment, habitats and species, archaeological sites, industrial, maritime and transport heritage as well as buildings, museums and archives. Most importantly, heritage is what communities value and want to pass on to future generations.

 

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is the largest funder of heritage in the UK. It has 3 main grant programmes that can fund projects from £3,000 upwards: Your Heritage (£3,000 - £50,000) and Young Roots (£3,000 - £25,000) which are aimed at small community and voluntary organisations and the Heritage Grant scheme (grants of £50,000 or more) for projects that relate to the national, regional or local heritage of the UK. All projects must help people learn about, get involved in and conserve their heritage.

But what is heritage? Most people assume that heritage is all about buildings, museums and archives, but at HLF we believe that there is much more to heritage than meets the eye. For us, heritage includes a wide range of themes, including people's memories, cultural traditions, the natural environment, habitats and species, archaeological sites, industrial, maritime and transport heritage as well as buildings, museums and archives. Most importantly, heritage is what communities value and want to pass on to future generations.

In South Yorkshire HLF has funded a range of projects that have helped people to learn about all sorts of heritage, conserving the past and getting people involved in their local heritage:

•  The Thurgoland Local History Group received £38,500 to restore their vill

age pump whilst volunteers researched and produced a self-guided heritage trail and book. This was based on a collection of glass plates that they digitised to help more people learn about the heritage of Thurgoland and the Barnsley district

 

•  SHEBEEN is running a year long project to work with young Burmese refugees, aged between 13-17 years old, getting them involved in environmental activities to enable them to explore, understand and conserve the natural heritage of the area in and around Sheffield. ‘Opening Doors' will enable the young people to learn new skills from conservation to photography and film making, as well as developing their communication and leadership skills

•  ‘From Coal to Goal' is an intergenerational project that is bringing together old and young people living in the old mining communities of Rotherham to explore their heritage. The project focuses on the history of Rotherham United Football Club and the intrinsic link between work and leisure. By capturing people's memories and experience of the 1940s and 1950s, a teaching pack will be produced to enable teachers to show a different side to local history and the football club

 

•  The Workers' Education Association was awarded £50,000 to run the ‘South Yorkshire Community Archaeology' project, which provided opportunities for people to take an active part in archaeological activities. This project encouraged under-represented groups in heritage, including adults with learning difficulties, mental health service users, people with physical disabilities and parents of school aged children, to engage with their heritage. Participants spent time learning in a classroom environment and visiting heritage sites before putting their skills into practice on 3 active archaeological sites such as Brodsworth Hall.

However not all applications to HLF are successful; some of the common reasons why applications are rejected include:

1. The proposal is not a heritage project and does not meet the aims of learning, participation and conservation
2. The application form does not clearly evidence that there is a need and demand for this particular project and that the proposal is an appropriate response to the needs of the local community or target audience
3. The project does not offer good value for money in terms of heritage benefits in relation to the costs.

Now that you know some of the reasons why projects are unsuccessful hopefully you can make sure that you do not fall into the same traps. To help make you project a success it is worth considering the following points:

• Is HLF the right funder for your project? Don't chase funding; it is much better to plan a good project and see which funder suits it, rather than trying to shoehorn your project into specific criteria. If your project does not have a heritage focus and does not meet our aims then it is probably in your interest to look for another funder
• Proper planning is essential for any project. By taking time during the planning stage to think about what you want to do and who you want to work with you will be able to present your project to other people and give them a clear idea of your aims. It is important that you have considered the following points as part of your planning:

 

•  Who is your project for and who will take responsibility for running it?

•  What will your project involve? What activities will you run?

•  When do you want you project to take place? What time limits do you have?

•  Where will your project take place?

•  Why are you going to do this project? Who have you spoken to about it and do they want to be involved in the project?

•  How will you run it and what resources do you need?

• Read the form and the relevant documents to get a clear idea of what we require from you. Make sure you answer the questions; if you are not sure what the question is asking you then read the help notes to get a better idea. In the budget section make sure that the costs add up and you have included sufficient provision to complete your project
• Don't assume that the funder has any prior knowledge of your organisation or your project. Clearly explain what the heritage focus and aims of the project are so that someone who does not know your project can understand what you hope to achieve
• Get pre-application advice. HLF's Development Team is happy to provide advice and guidance to help you understand the process. By submitting the short pre-application form we can offer tailored advice relating to your project and how it fits with HLF's aims and criteria
If you want to find out more about HLF's grant programmes then please visit our website and if you have any questions then feel free to contact the Development Team by email: y&hdevelopment@hlf.org.uk or telephone: 0113 388 8030.