THE HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND’S NEW FIRST WORLD WAR PROGRAMME
Simon Kirby, Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven has welcomed the Heritage Lottery Fund’s project that will provide grants between £3,000 to £10,000 enabling groups right across the UK to explore, conserve and share their First World War heritage and deepen their understanding of the impact of the conflict.
Simon Kirby MP wants to urge his constituents to think about how they would like to mark the Centenary. Successful projects will include:
- researching, identifying and recording local heritage;
- creating a community archive or collection;
- developing new interpretation of heritage through exhibitions, trails, smartphone apps etc;
- researching, writing and performing creative material based on heritage sources.
The new programme can also provide funding for the conservation of war memorials.
Simon said: “I’m delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund is making this money available to local communities. Like many areas across the UK, the impact of the First World War on the people of Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven was extensive. For those who want to find out more about its legacy or who wish to mark the Centenary, I would urge them to get in touch with HLF.”
Welcoming the programme at the launch in the House of Commons, Culture Secretary of State Maria Miller said: “It is completely right that we mark the centenary of the First World War with a national programme capturing our national spirit and saying something about who we are as a people. But what we do also needs to help create an enduring cultural and educational legacy for communities. The HLF grant programme announced today will play a big part in this, and builds on the substantial investment they have already made towards the Centenary.”
Simon added: “If a group have a project idea to mark the Centenary of the First World War, an online application pack is available http://www.hlf.org.uk/ThenAndNow. If a group needs a grant of more than £10,000 for a First World War project, it can apply to HLF through its open programmes.”
