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Our achievements: Urban regeneration

Since 1995 HLF has given £147.5 million to 468 projects across the UK through two schemes, the Townscape Heritage Initiative and in partnership with English Heritage through the Conservation Area Partnerships (CAPS) scheme. These have delivered urban regeneration by bringing derelict buildings back into use, providing business units, low cost housing, creating and sustaining jobs. This investment often acts as a catalyst for the regeneration of a wider area while preserving its special character, which is locally valued.

In 2003 a study of the impact of schemes like these in the East of England found that every £10,000 of funding generates another £45,000 investment.

Religious buildings are valued by communities. As well as places of worship they are often the focus of local events, festivals, concerts, welfare groups and courses, bringing people together. In 1996, a scheme was set up to repair places of worship of all faiths.

A total of 303.8m has been granted to places of worship of all faiths throughout the UK, including cathedrals. Added to funding for other ecclesiastical heritage and funding for non-Christian faith heritage, some £305.6m has gone to 2,416 faith-related heritage projects.

Distinctive landmarks from Hawskmoor Christchurch Spitalfields in London to Garnethill Synagogue in Glasgow have been restored and given a new lease of life with the help of an HLF award.

HLF has also funded new uses for ‘redundant’ places of worship – take St Lukes Church, Old Street, now the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, or the Belfast Indian Community centre, housed in a former Methodist Church where its architecture is now enjoyed in community gatherings of people from many different faiths.

ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPECIFIC HERITAGE AREAS

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