The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is launching a consultation – Our Heritage, Our Future, Your Say – asking everyone how they think heritage lottery money should be spent in the future.

For the past 11 years, HLF money has been hard at work. It has kick-started regeneration in towns and cities across the UK. It has funded ships and steam trains, castles and piers, oral history projects and photographic records. Nature reserves, mountains, moors and forests have all been transformed, along with the species which inhabit them.

Provided the same share of lottery money is available in the future*, HLF will remain a major source of financial support for the UK’s heritage. HLF now wants to know how people think their money should be used given increased competition for grants. 

Liz Forgan, Chair of HLF, commented:  “Heritage underpins our national identity and now is the critical time to ask some questions. We’re really keen to hear views on what has been achieved and what we could do differently.

“The impact of our investment so far has been spectacular. Heritage is a huge asset in our national balance sheet and, without it, the UK would lose much of its distinctive identity and character. There is still so much to be done and our challenge now is to define how best to use our funding to have the greatest impact.”

Tom Wright, CEO of Visit Britain, added: “Britain’s unique heritage – from our castles and museums to our countryside and historic towns – is at the heart of the UK’s tourism industry. The Heritage Lottery Fund’s investment to date has been a major ingredient in ensuring the continued good health of the industry.”

To have your say on the future of lottery funding for heritage, please visit the HLF website at http://www.hlf.org.uk/ - before 28th February 2006.

 

*Just over 4p from every lottery ticket currently goes to HLF to fund heritage projects.  The Government is consulting on how lottery shares should be divided up post-2009.