‘Working-class heritage’ grants worth £25,000 on offer for projects in Sunderland and South Tyneside

Historic England is inviting North East community or heritage organisations to apply for grants to fund projects which celebrate the built or historic environment near them.

Applications for funding for smaller grassroots projects of less than £10,000 are also welcome.

The funding focuses on heritage linking people to overlooked historic places, with a particular interest in recognising and celebrating working class history.

Historic England are keen to promote the idea that any building, be they palaces or terraced houses, are symbols of our past. This extends to local railways, mines, pubs, factories or any building that has a story.

The Everyday Heritage Grants aims to engage with the “widest possible range of heritage” to help further the England’s collective understanding of its past.

The scheme is the first of many cultural projects that Historic England aims to deliver over the next three years, to shine a light on the diversity of the nation’s heritage.

Duncan Wilson, Historic England chief executive, said: “The histories of castles and great houses and their inhabitants are well documented, but we know far less about our everyday heritage.

“From council estates, pubs and clubs, to farms, factories and shipyards, these are the places where most people have lived, worked and played for hundreds of years. We want to explore these untold stories and celebrate the people and places at the heart of our history.”

Nigel Huddleston, Heritage Minister, said: “Our heritage belongs to us all and should be accessible to everyone. I welcome plans for new community-led projects to tell the story of working people across the country, bringing our collective and shared history back to life."

"Each project should enable people to creatively share overlooked or untold stories of the places where they live and encourage communities, groups and local people to examine and tell their own stories in their own ways.”

Applications can be made between Wednesday, February 23 and Monday, May 23.

For more information visit www.historicengland.org.uk or email [email protected].

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