Alistair Hardaker
Image: Big Fish & Queens Quay Kiosk (c) Maritime Belfast Trust
The £200m programme currently has £10m in the pipeline, with over £4m invested in 19 development phase projects across 15 areas.
Six new UK areas have been added to the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Places initiative.
These six areas join nine others announced in 2023, as part of Heritage Fund’s plan to invest £200m in up to 20 areas across the UK. It leaves five more to be announced.
The six new Heritage Places are:
Barking & Dagenham
Belfast Historic Waterfront
Dudley
Orkney Islands
Tameside
Ynys Môn – Isle of Anglesey
There is currently £10million funding in the pipeline for current Heritage Places – including over £4m invested in 19 projects as part of the development phase.
It said its aim is to “unlock the potential of local heritage” over a ten-year period, “connecting communities, revitalising local economies and enabling places to thrive”.
Heritage Places, a 10-year journey to transform heritage in 20 places
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Our six new Heritage Places each hold incredible potential – from Tameside’s rich industrial past to the Standing Stones of Stenness on Orkney and the vibrant coastal heritage of Ynys Môn. Each place is bursting with diverse heritage treasures to be explored.
“We are proud to champion and invest in these places, helping communities and partners to shape bold new visions for the heritage on their doorstep.”
Tameside Council Executive Leader Cllr Eleanor Wills said: “It’s fantastic to have our wonderful and rich heritage in Tameside recognised at a national level and I’m excited about how this strategic partnership can support us as a wider borough and community to work together to care for, protect, strengthen and grow our cultural and heritage assets going forward.”
Kerrie Sweeney MBE, Chief Executive Officer, Maritime Belfast Trust, added: “The recognition of the Belfast Historic Waterfront as a Heritage Place represents a generational opportunity to realise the City’s vision for one of our most iconic natural assets, the River Lagan.
This initiative is part of #Heritage 2033, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s 10-year strategy, which includes other initiatives helping places to thrive including Landscapes Connected and Nature Towns and Cities. Together, these programmes aim to tackle the challenges facing heritage and maximise its contribution to people and places across the UK.
