Urging Northfield communities to apply for HLF funding to mark the Centenary of the First World War
With a year to go until we mark the centenary of the UK entering the First World War, I am urging local residents and community groups in Northfield to consider applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for community projects to learn more about the First World War.
HLF is making at least £1million a year available until 2019 as part of the First World War: Then and Now programme for small community grants. It will provide grants of between £3,000 and £10,000 enabling groups to explore, conserve and share their First World War heritage and deepen their understanding of the impact of this conflict.
So, I am urging residents in Northfield 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;
- Conserving and finding out more about war memorials
I think it’s great 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 people and families in Northfield was extensive. So, for those who want find out more about its legacy or who wish to mark the Centenary, I would urge them to get in touch with HLF.
The Then and Now programme will enable communities to explore the lasting legacy of this war, and help young people particularly to broaden their understanding of how it has shaped the world around us today.
Online application packs are available from http://www.hlf.org.uk/ThenAndNow
