Sporting heritage awarded national lottery funding for UK-wide project to keep sporting stories alive
Leeds-based CIC, Sporting Heritage have today announced their successful award of £249,281 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The project titled ‘Sporting Heritage – Working to keep the nation’s sporting stories alive!’ will run for two years and give Sporting Heritage the capacity to work across the UK supporting hundreds of volunteers and organisations who look after sporting collections, archives and stories.
Through a programme of training, digital support, mentoring, events, online campaigns and guidance, the project will ensure that more of this important heritage is removed from risk and that more diverse, hidden and ignored heritage is uncovered, celebrated and shared. Crucially, a substantial part of the funding, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, will be used to deliver a series of community grant programmes, directly supporting grassroots activity in communities across the UK, often for the first time.
Dr Justine Reilly, Sporting Heritage Director, said: “We can’t thank the players of the National Lottery enough! We are absolutely delighted that the Heritage Fund are supporting the rich and diverse sporting collections of the UK through this award. It will provide us with the capacity to intensify the support we provide for those who look after these collections, and enable us to draw in new voices and remove heritage from risk. This funding award will provide a life-line of support to ensure the stories of sport and communities are celebrated and shared for generations to come”.
The funding will enable the organisation to support individuals and groups from across the sporting spectrum, from grass-roots to elite sport.
Dr Justine adds: “From photos, to oral history, kit, memorabilia, documents and venues, the sporting heritage of all sports plays a huge role in our DNA as a society. It’s so important this heritage is preserved, celebrated, and shared for generations to come, instead of being hidden away or undiscovered.”
Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We are delighted to support this project that will ensure our rich sporting heritage is preserved for future generations. Thanks to National Lottery players, people across the UK will have the opportunity to share their stories and explore their local sporting history. We know that heritage can play a huge role in bringing people together and creating a sense of pride in local communities, and this project promises to do just that.”
The project will run for 24 months between March 2024 and March 2026 and see £249,281 invested into the sporting heritage sector.
