31st March 2006
People from all across Northern Ireland were today celebrating the news that funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) had hit the £100 million milestone.
Over 500 groups and organisations from all over Northern Ireland have benefited from HLF funding since 1994 representing the largest investment in heritage ever seen in Northern Ireland. The money has fuelled a radical transformation of Northern Ireland’s heritage, reversing decades of neglect, tackling long term issues and injecting life back into the country.
HLF money has:
Generated almost £200 million total investment in Northern Ireland’s heritage
Brought over 100 historic buildings back to life
Helped preserve some of our most important landscapes including 5 mountains for public use
Invested millions to help regenerate 18 historic towns and villages
Revitalised museums and collections through major investment
Repaired almost 100 churches across the country
The announcement was made as six new projects were awarded HLF grants, totalling £1.98 million. The latest awards offer a snapshot of the diversity of projects supported by HLF.
Holywood Old School is to be given a new lease of life as a community venue and a rare collection of over 7,000 books is to be conserved and opened to the public. At the same time, the historic White House in Newtownabbey is to be rescued from ruin and opened as a heritage and community facility whilst a team of volunteers have received funding to bring the earliest surviving Census records to life through community activities and a free family history website.
Museums across the country are to embark on a programme to engage young people thanks to HLF funding and the Cardinal O’Fiaich Memorial Library is to launch a range of activities designed to encourage more people to use their archive material.
Commenting on the announcement the Minister for Culture, Arts & Leisure, David Hanson MP said, “This is an impressive milestone and I would like to congratulate the Heritage Lottery Fund on this tremendous achievement. What strikes me about these awards is that they clearly demonstrate the diversity of what the Heritage Lottery Fund does. It’s that diversity which is one of the Fund’s main strengths, forging new partnerships and encouraging local involvement. “
“The Heritage Lottery Fund has given people a valuable opportunity to become involved in what is important to them. Significantly, it has helped to broaden understanding and to recognise the powerful impact active participation in our heritage can have on social development, regeneration, tourism and opportunities for training and learning. Most of all it’s about enjoyment and communities’ increased sense of pride of place and belonging”.
Paying particular tribute to the efforts of Primrose Wilson, Northern Ireland Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Northern Ireland Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee, the Minister said, “Primrose will shortly be stepping down from the position of Chair having completed the full term allowed. She has played a pivotal role in getting the Heritage Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland to where it is today – innovative, forward thinking and highly regarded. I should like to convey to her my warmest thanks and best wishes for the future”.
HLF’s Primrose Wilson said, “There is often a misconception that HLF is all about old buildings and big museums. The reality is completely different. Most of our grants go to small community groups who are passionately researching their local area and helping people to be more aware of the history on their doorsteps, and it’s work that we are extremely proud of.
£100 million has made a huge difference to heritage in Northern Ireland, she continued, but we couldn’t have done any of it without lottery players. £100 million equates to over 357 million lottery tickets so we’ve got a lot of people to thank.
It’s wonderful to look at what’s been achieved, but there’s still so much more to be done and we’re certainly not resting on our laurels. We’re constantly encouraging more people to come to us with ideas on how to protect, learn about and ultimately share our heritage.”