Heritage Fund moots investment in ‘places of need’

The rationale for deciding which heritage projects receive National Lottery funding is to be reviewed in the wake of the pandemic and the economic downturn, it has been announced.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is currently three years into its 2019-2024 Strategic Funding Framework – the funding priorities of which are listed as landscapes and nature, community heritage, and heritage at risk.

But consultation documents for a new 10-year strategy, to run from 2025, reveal it intends to do "more to prioritise and invest in places with greater need, opportunity and potential for heritage".

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The organisation has asked for respondents to help "shape the emphasis" of the new focus by identifying three criteria to be considered when making investment decisions.

Options include heritage needs, social and economic needs, opportunities for the Heritage Fund to align with other funders and partners, the potential of heritage in a given area, the readiness of a place for partnership and investment, or low levels of engagement with heritage, "especially amongst underserved groups".

Moves to shift the focus of Heritage Fund investment come at a time when Arts Council England is seeking to ensure more of the money it invests goes outside of the capital, with funding for London being cut by 15%.

Larger grants

The Heritage Fund has indicated it is prepared to increase the grant limit for individual projects – currently £5m – to have a greater impact.

"We currently deliver the majority of our funding through our open programme approach. Looking ahead, we are planning to make larger scale investments and direct some funding to issues or types of heritage where there is a strategic need," the consultation states.

The Heritage Fund is also seeking views on how it can better support projects to reduce their carbon footprint and whether there are any particular heritage challenges it should direct targeted support to. 

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of the Heritage Fund, said: "Collectively we have battled unprecedented times brought by the pandemic, and we are still dealing with the longer-term effects, compounded by the economic and environmental crises.

"It feels like the right time to review the vision we set out in our 2019 Strategic Funding Framework, to check our purpose and ask whether our priorities and investment approach are the right ones for heritage and people for the future.

"I want us to set out an ambitious vision for the future of the UK’s heritage, together."

Susan Fisher, English Heritage’s Development Director has responded: “English Heritage welcomes this consultation and the charity will be submitting our response but, briefly, we would support an increase in the size of potential grants to match the scope and ambition across the sector.

“We are extremely grateful for the previous and on-going support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Most recently, it has helped us to revive such sites as Marble Hill in Twickenham and Belsay Hall outside Newcastle and, crucially, to place these great historic places at the heart of their local communities."

The consultation is open until midday on Monday 5 September.