WIREDGOV

Baroness Randerson recently attended the launch of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) new small grants programme First World War: then and now at the House of Commons to find out how people from Wales could secure funding to mark the Centenary of the First World War.

HLF is making at least £1million available per year for six years until 2019. It will provide grants between £3,000 to £10,000 enabling groups’ right across the UK to explore, conserve and share their First World War heritage and deepen their understanding of the impact of the conflict.

As a result, Baroness Randerson urged communities in Wales to think about how they would like to mark the Centenary. Successful projects will include: • researching, identifying and recording local heritage; • creating a community archive or collection; • developing new interpretation of heritage through exhibitions, trails, smartphone apps etc; • researching, writing and performing creative material based on heritage sources; and • the new programme can also provide funding for the conservation of war memorials.

Baroness Randerson said:

“I’m delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund is making this money available to local communities. Like many areas across the UK, the impact of the First World War on the people of Wales was extensive. For those who want to find out more about its legacy or who wish to mark the Centenary, I would urge them to get in touch with the Heritage Lottery Fund.”

Sebastian Faulks CBE, broadcaster, novelist, author of Birdsong and member of the Government’s First World War Centenary advisory group, said:

“The Heritage Lottery Fund’s First World War small grants programme is an opportunity for every street, town or village to make sure they remember the cataclysmic events of a hundred years ago. It is a chance to learn and to commemorate in whatever way they choose.’’

Welcoming the programme at the launch in the House of Commons, Culture Secretary of State Maria Miller said:

“It is completely right that we mark the centenary of the First World War with a national programme capturing our national spirit and saying something about who we are as a people. But what we do also needs to help create an enduring cultural and educational legacy for communities. The HLF grant programme announced today will play a big part in this, and builds on the substantial investment they have already made towards the Centenary.”

Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of Heritage Lottery Fund, said:

“The impact of the First World War was far reaching, touching and shaping every corner of the UK and beyond. The Heritage Lottery Fund’s new programme will enable communities to explore the continuing legacy of this war and help young people in particular to broaden their understanding of how it has shaped our modern world.”

HLF has already invested £12million in projects – large and small – that will mark the Centenary of First World War. If a group have a project idea to mark the Centenary of the First World War, an online application pack is available http://www.hlf.org.uk/ThenAndNow. If a group needs a grant of more than £10,000 for a First World War project, it can apply to HLF through its open programmes.

Notes to Editors:

Heritage Lottery Fund Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported almost 35,000 projects with more than £5.3bn across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk.

UK Government Centenary plans In October 2012, the Prime Minister set out the Government’s plans to mark the centenaries of the First World War commencing in 2014. These plans include a £35m refurbishment of the First World War galleries at the Imperial War Museum (IWM); The Government’s principal partners in the commemorations will be the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the IWM, but will encompass support for a multitude of other initiatives, large and small, as they come together in the months and years to come.

Speaking at the Imperial War Museum in October, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “A truly national commemoration cannot just be about national initiatives and government action. It needs to be local too…Let’s get out there and make this centenary a truly national moment in every community in our land.”