The Heritage Lottery Fund has launched its new brand and framework, involving a major devolution of decision-making across the whole of the UK, at the heart of new plans to distribute more than £1billion of National Lottery money to the UK’s heritage over the next five years.
Decisions on around 80% of all funding by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is changing its name from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be made in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and three new English areas.
Ros Kerslake, CEO said: “Over the next five years, the National Lottery Heritage Fund will inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage, distributing more than £1bn. So we will be making more decisions on funding locally and focusing on the heritage that really matters to people, creating jobs, bringing economic prosperity and improving people’s lives right across the UK.”
National Lottery Heritage Fund’s new approach:
- A major focus on nature, communities, and on ensuring everyone is able to enjoy heritage – three top priorities for people who responded to the consultation
- new models of investment, moving beyond grants to include loans and partnerships, designed to attract others to invest money alongside the National Lottery
- more support for commercial, sustainable approaches to tackling heritage that’s in danger of being lost
- investment and support to help heritage organisations to be more financially sustainable
- a requirement for every heritage project that receives funding to be environmentally friendly
- simpler, streamlined and more efficient funding
- greater engagement and support to help 13 deprived communities that have in the past been less successful securing funding
- continued support for large-scale, iconic projects over £5million
