Funding for 57 new projects across England for ‘our nation’s working-class heritage’: HE’s ‘Everyday Heritage Grants’

The untold histories of West Yorkshire’s boxing clubs, Leicester’s hidden nightclub scene and Deptford’s 19th-century slaughterhouse workers are amongst 57 new projects that Historic England (HE) will fund through its Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories.

image: General view of Dunston Staiths, opened in 1893 by the North Eastern Railway Company, lit at twilight. © Historic England Archive DP059978

… focus on heritage that links people to overlooked local historic places…

Historic England writes:

Following an open call for applications in February this year, the projects were selected from more than 500 passionate, creative proposals. The total amount of funding awarded by Historic England will be £774,000, ranging from £6,000 – £25,000 per individual project.

Heritage should be for everyone. But not everyone’s stories are told and not everyone’s history is remembered. The Everyday Heritage Grants continue to address this imbalance by engaging with the widest possible range of heritage.

These community-led and people-focused projects all aim to further the nation’s collective understanding of the past, with a focus on heritage that links people to overlooked local historic places and celebrating working class histories.

These new projects will reveal and celebrate fascinating untold stories from across England: from the distinct history of the Dunston Staiths – a coal drop for ships in Gateshead, to the stories of the colliers, iron workers, and traveller communities that used tin chapels in the Forest of Dean. Led by people that might not normally engage with their local heritage, these projects will support them to tell their own stories, in their own way, and to connect with others in their local communities.

“I’m excited to see the wide range of creative approaches and subjects proposed for Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories. These community-led projects demonstrate that heritage is all around us and accessible to everyone. They will highlight that wherever people live they are surrounded by historic buildings, landscapes and streets, industrial and coastal heritage that can help bring communities together.”
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive
Historic England

“This inclusive and accessible project clearly demonstrates that heritage belongs to all of us. This is a fantastic initiative that will help communities from across England engage with the working-class heritage in their area in new and exciting ways and see these untold stories being put into the spotlight.”
Nigel Huddleston, Heritage Minister

Historic England invited applications from community or heritage organisations for grants up to £25,000 to fund projects that will celebrate the working-class heritage of the built or historic environment near them.

Historic England has selected projects that provide innovative volunteering opportunities for young people or those facing loneliness and isolation, and projects that contribute positively to participants’ wellbeing. Local heritage gives people a sense of pride in place, a cornerstone of the Government’s levelling up agenda, and can act as a powerful catalyst for increasing local opportunities and prosperity.

Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories is the next of many cultural projects that Historic England aims to deliver to shine a light on the diversity of our heritage. The grants are being delivered in support of Historic England’s Strategy for Inclusion, Diversity and Equality published in November 2020 and outline the organisation’s commitment to ensuring that a diverse range of people is able to connect with, enjoy and benefit from the historic environment.

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