Good news for local history groups as Historic England makes new funding for its Everyday Heritage grants programme available, celebrating working class histories. This time, the funding will be offered to projects with a focus on buildings or places in rural and coastal locations.
Historic England says:
"Grants will be available to fund community-led and people-focused projects that aim to further the nation’s collective understanding of the past. They will need to focus on heritage that links people to overlooked historic places, with a particular interest in recognising and celebrating working class histories.
So far, the Everyday Heritage grant programme has funded extraordinary projects in the East of England from the untold stories of a 1970s Lowestoft paranormal magazine to the brickmaking and farming heritage of Eye in Cambridgeshire.
Now Historic England is inviting groups to explore some of the hidden histories of rural locations such as villages, hamlets, farmland, and moors, alongside coastal locations including the seaside, docks, piers and cliffs.
Launched in 2022, the programme has already funded over 100 projects to a total of £1.8 million, celebrating fascinating untold stories from across England. Each grant awarded so far has left lasting legacies for the communities involved.
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England, said: “Heritage is all around us – it’s the pubs, factories, football clubs and council estates where most people have lived, worked and played for hundreds of years. But often the stories of ordinary people and places aren’t included in the history records and memories of their extraordinary impact on history fade away.
“This programme is all about funding community-led projects that will recognise and celebrate the lives of ordinary people. Over the past few years, projects have surpassed our expectations and now we hope that by focusing on rural and coastal heritage we can help communities uncover even more forgotten histories for us all to learn from and enjoy.”
Previous projects funded by Everyday Heritage grants
Digging Down, Building Up explored Eye’s brickmaking and farming heritage, uncovering the stories and voices of people who lived and worked in those industries from the early 1900s. Eye’s bricks were used in buildings across the country, including Westminster Cathedral, and continued in production until 1990. Working with the local community, Peterborough Presents (part of the Nene Park Trust) discovered and shared stories through workshops, an interactive heritage trail and a lantern parade, bringing people together to create new traditions in celebration of the historic life of the village.
The Work Furnace project unearthed the overlooked industrial heritage of Ipswich, telling the stories of people who worked in the factories. Over the course of nine months, members of the Eastern Angles Theatre Company spoke to over a thousand individuals who had worked inside the factories that powered this waterfront town and recorded their memories. An audio heritage trail allowed the public to explore Ipswich’s industrial sites and hear from these workers.
The Work Furnace finale event featured music, displays and a community street procession with banners, props and puppets using the symbol of the furnace as the uniting feature of Ipswich’s industrial heyday.
Gypsy and Traveller Tales in Greensand Country was a project led by Full House, a child-focused charity and arts organisation based in the heart of Greensand Country, Central Bedfordshire. It centred around the co-creation of a touring exhibition telling the story of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities living in Greensand Country. Children and families from GRT communities created content alongside visiting artists, forming a body of work to be shared with the public in an exhibition, co-created and curated with participants, which toured three local libraries.
You can learn more about some of the past projects Historic England has funded here.
Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories is one of the cultural projects Historic England is delivering to shine a light on the diversity of the nation’s heritage."
If you think you have a project which is worthy of a grant, Historic England is inviting community and heritage organisations across the country to apply for grants of up to £25,000 through its Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories.
Each project should enable people to share untold stories about the places where they live, encouraging communities to examine and tell their own stories in their own ways.
Applications close on Monday 7 October.
For more information visit https://historicengland.org.uk/everydayheritage/
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