25 January 2005
Speaking today at a major heritage summit, the Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, announced the two latest successful Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grants, totalling £15million. The projects are a museum which celebrates the lives of working people and the grounds of a grand historic house.
£15million of new HLF grants
The earmarked* grants awarded are £7.18million for the revitalisation of the People’s History Museum in Manchester and £7.9 million for the first phase of the restoration of the grounds of Chiswick House in London.
Carole Souter, Director of the HLF, said: “Today’s event is all about how to measure and express the value of heritage. These new grants - a much-loved historic garden and a museum that tells us stories of everyday life - show the range of heritage people treasure and the wider benefits it can deliver to communities.
“Heritage has many different roles, helping us to express our sense of identity and share common memories. The Heritage Lottery Fund is committed to pushing the boundaries of what we mean by ‘heritage’ as well as helping to protect this precious legacy for future generations.”
A museum for everyone
HLF’s earmarked grant of £7.18million for the People’s History Museum will enable it to consolidate its current two sites into one, as well as modernising its already popular exhibitions and educational facilities. Located in the heart of Manchester, it is the only museum of its type in the UK that charts and explores the world-changing events led by the ordinary working people of Britain.
The People's History Museum, Manchester
The Museum contains an array of exciting displays and fascinating archives of social history which give visitors a snap shot of daily life over the last 200 years. Interactive family exhibitions include the recreation of memorable experiences such as watching the first ever edition of Match of the Day on TV, playing a vinyl record on an original jukebox and visiting a 1930s local Co-op shop. The museum holds the largest collection of historic trade union and political banners in the world, including the oldest surviving trade union banner in the country.
Speaking at the summit, the Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, commented: “I am very pleased that The People’s History Museum has been successful in securing Heritage Lottery Fund support. It's important that Lottery money directly benefits the people who actually buy tickets, so a museum which celebrates real people's lives and tells their stories from the last two centuries is very deserving of an HLF grant."
Anne Robinson, broadcaster and journalist and a supporter of the museum, said: "I’m delighted to hear that the People's History Museum in Manchester has received news of support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. I visited the museum in 2003 to open an exhibition and was struck by how relevant the displays are to modern life and how much we tend to take things like the vote for granted. Their plans to bring all activities together can only be a positive move and will benefit all those interested in the story of ordinary people."
Chiswick House and Gardens first steps
Chiswick House and Gardens’ Regeneration Project (Phase One) will see a transformation to the Grade I listed gardens, comprising 26 hectares of woodland, garden, lawns and sports facilities.
Chiswick House and gardens
HLF’s investment of £7.9million will help English Heritage to safeguard the future of these historic gardens as well as attracting a wider range of visitors and volunteers.
Capturing the Value of Heritage
Today’s summit sees heritage experts and the public coming together for the first time to debate the wider benefits of heritage, why it is important to the public and why continued funding is so essential. The findings will feed into the DCMS’ current consultation on the future of Lottery funding post 2009 and into HLF’s own consultation on future priorities.
Notes to Editors
*A ‘Stage One Pass’ means that money has been earmarked by the Heritage Lottery Fund for the project in question. Competition at this stage is tough, and while a Stage One Pass does not guarantee funding, it is an indication of positive support, and money for the scheme is set aside. The applicant can then progress to Stage Two and submit a further, fully developed application to secure the full grant. On occasion, at Stage One, funding will also be awarded towards the development of the scheme.
HLF’s consultation document, Our Heritage, Our Future, Your Say, is designed to inform planning for HLF’s next Strategic Plan and will shape the organisation’s work from 2008 to 2013. It coincides but is independent of the Government’s own consultation on the future shares and direction of heritage, arts and sports lottery funding. Both consultations are designed to encourage people to respond and inform future priorities and grant-making. HLF’s consultation runs from 22 November to 28 February 2006. Copies of the Our Heritage, Our Future, Your Say document are available on-line at www.hlf.org.uk/future or by post by calling the HLF Press Office.