As the nation marks the Centenary of the Battle of Somme, Maria Miller urges organisations in Basingstoke to apply for Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) money to explore the stories of the First World War.
Following the phenomenal success of its community grants programme First World War: then and now, HLF has made an additional £4 million available for communities looking to explore, conserve and share local heritage of the First World War. Grants are available between £3,000 and £10,000.
Thanks to National Lottery funding, thousands of young people and communities throughout the UK have already been involved in activities marking the Centenary such as: researching and recording local heritage; conserving and finding out more about war memorials; and using digital technology to share the fascinating stories they uncover. This new money will help even more people get involved to explore a greater range of stories including those surrounding the Somme campaign, which lasted from July to November 1916.
Maria said: “It’s important that we remember the impact of the war one hundred years on and local projects and stories can be a real inspiration to our local community. There is still time to apply for National Lottery money and I would urge anyone in Basingstoke with an idea for their own project to get in touch with HLF.”
Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the HLF, said: “The demand for National Lottery funding for First World War projects has been phenomenal, so much so we’ve decided to make extra money available. This will mean everyone, in particular more young people, can explore the momentous events of a war that shaped our nation, Europe and the world. This year marks the Centenary of the Battle of Somme and if groups want support for projects examining its impact do think about applying.”
The Battle of Somme lasted for 141 days, ending on 18th November 1916.
There are now 1,520 First World War projects taking place across the UK, thanks to more than £77 million of investment from HLF. Information on how to apply for HLF funding is available at www.hlf.org.uk