New £25,000 grants to celebrate ‘overlooked’ working class histories

Historic England has announced today that it is making grants available to fund community-led projects that will celebrate ‘overlooked’ working class histories.

Historic England has announced its Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories which will fund community-led and people-focused projects that aim to further the nation’s collective understanding of the past. These grants will focus on heritage that links people to overlooked historic places, with a particular interest in recognising and celebrating working class histories.

The Everyday Heritage Grants of up to £25,000 will fund projects that aim to celebrate the built or historic environment of working class communities.

Historic England chief executive, Duncan Wilson, said: ‘The histories of castles and great houses and their inhabitants are well documented, but we know far less about our everyday heritage.

‘From council estates, pubs and clubs, to farms, factories and shipyards, these are the places where most people have lived, worked and played for hundreds of years.

‘We want to explore these untold stories and celebrate the people and places at the heart of our history.’

Historic England is particularly interested in funding smaller grass roots projects of less than £10,000 and projects that provide volunteering opportunities for young people or people facing loneliness or isolation.

Nigel Huddleston, heritage minister, commented: ‘Our heritage belongs to us all and should be accessible to everyone. I welcome plans for new community-led projects to tell the story of working people across the country, bringing our collective and shared history back to life.’

In related news, £1.2bn worth of Scottish buildings, infrastructure and heritage may be at risk of coastal erosion by 2050, according to new research. 

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