Forging the future of the UK’s industrial past with new £14.8m funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

On Tuesday 9 April, The National Lottery Heritage Fund announced £14.8m in funding to forge a brighter future for the UK’s industrial past.

The seven newly funded projects span the UK from Kent to County Down and Glasgow to the Isles of Scilly, and will reimagine industrial buildings, vessels and sites, protecting this important heritage and give them a new lease of life at the heart of their communities. Through this investment they will contribute to cultural and social wellbeing, and deliver education and skills development, equipping a new generation with valuable new skills and preserving and passing on the traditional skills needed to protect our precious heritage.

One of the seven projects is the unique culture, rich history and diverse ecology of the Isles of Scilly are to find a new home when the old Town Hall reopens as a museum and cultural centre in the heart of St Mary’s thanks to over £4.6m in National Lottery money. The project will shine a light on the rich heritage of the islands, including its maritime heritage, creating a community hall, performance and exhibition space – and a much-needed indoor venue for cinema, theatre and live music.

Since 1994, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded over £610million to more than 1,500 industrial, maritime and transport heritage projects across the UK. These initiatives have been made possible through the generous support of National Lottery players, whose contributions continue to play a vital role in the conservation and appreciation of the UK’s unique industrial landscapes and history.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

“These innovative buildings, trailblazing transport and pioneering technologies shaped our modern world and are core to our rich industrial heritage. They are a connection to the past, but these fantastic projects ensure that this heritage lives on in the future, equipping a new generation with the skills to maintain the fabric of this heritage, and creatively using these sites for new and imaginative uses at the heart of their communities.

“What unites these projects is recognition of the heritage value of our industrial past, the incredible stories to be told and committed people.  We’re delighted that National Lottery funding ensures that this heritage will be valued, cared for, and sustained, for everyone, now and in the future.”

Aerial view across Hugh Town

The other projects are:

In Essex, The Pioneering Sailing Trust will develop training facilities and deliver a new apprenticeship scheme.

The pipe factory in Glasgow is to open as a cultural centre.

Rejuvenation of the Grade II listed Police Section House of the former Royal Dockyard Chatham, into state-of-the-art digital production studios with teaching facilities, business incubation opportunities, co-working and exhibition spaces and a café.

Saintfield Community Heritage Park near Belfast will create the area’s first free-to-access community park.

The regeneration of Cody Dock In Newham, London, includes the Lighting Up the Lea project, which will restore a Thames Ironworks-made historic vessel and construct a new heritage centre.

In Fife, a 1937 herring fishing boat will be re-built to become a working community asset.