People and communities
Walsall Council secures support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for Crowdfund Walsall programme
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Community-led projects in Walsall will soon be able to apply for a share of a £249,840 grant recently awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The programme will be delivered by Crowdfund Walsall, a partnership between Walsall Council and Spacehive, and will enable community groups and Voluntary organisations (VCS) across the borough to access funding. This forms as part of the Walsall Heritage Strategy.
Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the funding will be available from April 2025 to empower groups to deliver community projects aimed at protecting, commemorating and inspiring heritage.
Over a 3-year period, the funding will be made accessible to local groups who propose heritage projects through the Crowdfund Walsall programme.
Crowdfund Walsall launched in 2021 and has funded 54 local projects, including heritage projects such as ‘Walsall Memory Jar - Down the Arbo’ -an on-line archive for Walsall Arboretum park memories past and present, young and old and ‘Migrants' Memories’ -collecting memories, photos and stories shared by a Polish Saturday school with the local community, via a published book and exhibition.
The project will also provide exciting opportunities for community participation in grant-making decisions, allowing even more people to enjoy and play a part in Walsall’s heritage.
“ We are thrilled to introduce the Heritage Community Fund and eagerly anticipate the innovative and diverse ideas our residents will propose to protect and celebrate Walsall’s unique heritage.
Our residents know the challenges and opportunities in their area, and Crowdfund Walsall empowers them to lead with their ideas. We are grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support and endorsement of the programme. We would also like to thank National Lottery players for making this possible.
I encourage community groups to come forward with their ideas for projects aimed at protecting, and inspiring heritage, in line with the Walsall 2040 strategy to enhance shared stories and protect local heritage. “
The Heritage strategy encourages local people to take part in community heritage events or even volunteering at your local park and green space projects. (Read more about the Walsall Heritage Strategy here: Walsall Heritage Strategy 2021-2026).
For further information, please visit Crowdfund Walsall - Home or contact the Council’s External Funding Team via email at CrowdfundWalsall@walsall.gov.uk.
Funding events and workshops will be held in due course.
Ends
Notes to editors:
Walsall Council and Crowdfund Walsall
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
For more information, visit heritagefund.org.uk
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram
Further information
For further information, images and interviews please contact the Crowdfund Walsall team at Walsall Council – using email: crowdfundwalsall@walsall.gov.uk .
