The consultation
period for those who care about the UK’s extraordinary heritage to give their
views on the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) plans for the future runs for
another month.
HLF funds projects
that range from restoring natural landscapes to rescuing neglected buildings;
from recording diverse community histories to providing
life-changing training.
HLF has launched a
public consultation to find out what people think its role, vision and
priorities should be as the UK’s biggest funder of heritage during its next
strategic funding framework – the period from 2019-2024.
The consultation
runs until Thursday 22 March 2018 and can be accessed here.
Comments are being
invited on a proposed new approach including targeted funding campaigns,
repayable loans and public involvement in decision-making, all of which could
have a role over the next five years in ensuring the most effective use of
National Lottery money to support the UK’s heritage.
Chief Executive of
HLF Ros Kerslake, said: “Since 1994, HLF has distributed £7.8bn to over
40,000 heritage projects – an unparalleled legacy that has transformed
neighbourhoods, communities, visitor attractions and people’s lives across the
length and breadth of the nation.
"We see our
future role as inspiring, leading and resourcing our heritage.
“In doing so we have
also led change and innovation across the UK heritage sector through our
inclusive and progressive approach to heritage and people. We have championed a
democratic view of heritage as what we value from the past and want to hand on
to the future, and nurtured community-driven approaches to local heritage
and identity.
“We now hold a
unique position as the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage and, at a
time of increased competition and reduced budgets, want to be sure we are using
every pound of National Lottery players’ money in the best way possible.
“We see our future
role as inspiring, leading and resourcing our heritage to create positive and
lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future.”
HLF still expects to
fund a full range of heritage including landscapes, places of worship, parks,
townscapes, buildings at risk and heritage skills. It also expects to
continue to put people and communities at the heart of its funding decisions.
HLF, as a National
Lottery good causes distributor, is now asking for views on its priorities for
the future, including:
its role and vision
– how HLF can continue to advocate for the impact and benefits to society that
heritage brings;
how to engage
under-represented groups and ensure National Lottery money benefits as wide and
diverse an audience as possible;
developing new
approaches to place-based funding that would offer an opportunity for
communities to put heritage at the heart of their economic and
social development:
- how to support the use of
digital technology and access to funding for digital projects;
- ensuring heritage
organisations across the UK can become more enterprising and
financially sustainable;
- simplifying the range of
grant programmes on offer and making it easier for people to apply;
- offering repayable grants,
loans, or other types of social investment;
- involving the public in
making decisions about National Lottery funding for heritage; and
- running time-limited funding
campaigns, to attract applications for particular types of project.
The consultation
follows in-depth research carried out with people who play The National
Lottery, who say they value the fact that HLF takes an inclusive approach,
doesn’t define heritage and supports the full breadth of heritage across the
UK.
