£250,000 heritage windfall thanks to The National Lottery

North East Lincolnshire Council has secured £250,000 for heritage projects in the area, following a successful bid to The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Grimsby and the surrounding area, is classified as an Area of Focus by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, meaning that it has received the least funding in the past and is an area that experiences deprivation.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, The National Lottery Heritage Fund solicited applications from organisations in its 13 Areas of Focus*, including Grimsby and the surrounding area, in order continue to support the objective of widening audiences for heritage and to ensure that heritage was factored in to helping communities in the areas recover.

Made possible thanks to National Lottery players North East Lincolnshire Council was awarded £250,000 following its bid. The grant will be used to assist groups with an interest in heritage to access a community grants programme to help them develop their heritage capacity, expertise and experience.

Over the next three years, the project aims to encourage people from North East Lincolnshire and beyond to consider what they know, or think they know, of North East Lincolnshire, its people  and how North East Lincolnshire has been shaped the world.

Though the full project will be developed in early 2021, there are various elements of local history that could be explored, including:

• Exploring Grimsby’s maritime history and relationship with the sea from ancient times to the recent development of the offshore wind industry
• Celebrating the area’s musical heritage, such as Rod Temperton and Bernie Taupin
• Continuing to tell the story of Immingham’s Pilgrim Fathers
• Encouraging the creative short-term use of heritage buildings
• Exploring how Grimsby’s international trading networks have shaped the world
• Sharing memories of good times at venues such as Cleethorpes Pier, which celebrates its 150^th anniversary in 2023
• Exploring our relationship with the natural environment in the Wolds and on the coast.

Following this community organisations will be supported to apply for grants to share and celebrate these stories.  Further details of how to get involved will be announced early next year.

Cllr Callum Procter, Cabinet member for heritage, said: “This will complement the work we’re doing with Grimsby Creates, Heritage Action Zone and Cleethorpes Townscape initiatives over the next few years, encouraging creative development in Grimsby. We have a really rich history in North East Lincolnshire, and I’m looking forward to seeing how we can make the most of it, involving local people along the way, and helping them take pride in their own history and heritage.”

David Renwick, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “North East Lincolnshire is home to incredibly varied and fascinating heritage, but in recent years the area has not received the funding to showcase these stories more widely. Here at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we’re committing to ensuring those areas, like North East Lincolnshire, who are home to such rich heritage but have not benefitted from high levels of investment are given the opportunity to use their stories to bring communities together, play a significant role in boosting the local economy and instil a real sense of pride of place for people. We’re delighted, that thanks to National Lottery players, we can fund this project to unlock the wealth of heritage that North East Lincolnshire holds and allow enable its communities to truly connect with it and safeguard it for future generations.”