First World War: then and now - HLF launches small grants scheme

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has launched First World War: then and now, a £6 million small grants programme to help communities mark the Centenary of the First World War.

HLF is making at least £1 million available per year for six years until 2019. It will provide grants between £3,000 and £10,000 enabling communities and 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.

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

The new programme can also provide funding for the conservation of war memorials.

HLF has already invested £12 million 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 from the First World War: then and now page. 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.

HLF-funded First World War projects

The tragic story of the Accrington Pals regiment inspired young people to create a short film about the Lancashire battalion. The film recounts the attack on Serre in 1916 that claimed the lives of most of the battalion’s soldiers and the impact on their families.  (Award £11,200)

Volunteers in Huddersfield are researching the history of rugby league, in particular the impact the war had on their local club. They are learning about the life of star team player Douglas Clark and the recruitment efforts aimed at enlisting rugby players.  (Award £99,800)

Local people in the Wylye Valley are finding out how this rural community was transformed during the early months of the First World War when a six mile site of temporary army camps were set up to train soldiers to fight in France. The largest village in the valley then had a population of 50, and the influx of trainees totalled 24,000.  (Award £18,000)

The Diamond War Memorial project revealed that the men commemorated on the monument in the centre of Derry-Londonderry were from both Unionist and Nationalist backgrounds. This discovery challenged perceptions about identity, and the monument itself is now viewed as a shared landmark in the city.  (Award £49,800)

Black families in Liverpool have been researching their roots and uncovering fascinating stories of about how their ancestors were involved in the First World War. The project will produce a collection of oral histories and potentially a range of objects and archive material that will enhance the collection at the new Museum of Liverpool.  (Award £10,000)

Lewisham Local History and Archives Centre holds a large range of primary material and resources relating to the First World War, and the boroughs of Deptford and Lewisham during the early part of the 20th century. For further information or discuss how we can support a project please email us at local.studies@lewisham.gov.uk, call us on 020 8297 0682, or drop in and visit.