EVALUATION OF COMMUNITY - PILOT

HLF has a range of funding programmes, which are set out on the web site; each programme has its own guidance, enquiry forms, application forms, and information which organisations should consult before and during an application. Applications are made online through the web site. We also publish a range of good-practice guidance, which applicants are encouraged to read.

Our grants programme 'Sharing Heritage' provides grants of £3,000- £10,000 for small-scale heritage projects that will undertake a range of activity to help people and communities discover and share their heritage.

HLF is currently exploring the potential to distribute smaller grants (£500-£3,000) in future. There is awareness that for some projects £3,000 is more than they need and the application process needs to be proportionate to the size of award; it also needs to reflect the capabilities of the organisations which might apply for a small award. HLF is also interested in extending our grant making to individuals.

We are proposing to pilot an approach to flexible and quicker award of grants under £3,000 from October 2017 to March 2018 in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. This is a priority area for HLF with lower than average funding to date. It is also an area with complex social issues. The aim of the pilot is to catalyse new community heritage activity in Barrow through a more flexible approach to awarding small amounts of funding.

The pilot will start with a workshop in Barrow, with key stakeholders, to scope the project in detail. The HLF North West Development Team will then work with community organisations and community members who are interested in heritage, and HLF officers will award funding to community organisations, and potentially to individuals, at events, meetings, funding fairs etc. This will reduce the time and the bureaucracy associated with an application for a small grant.