Heritage Fund Chief Executive Eilish McGuinness has introduced their new delivery plan for 2026–2029, sharing the next steps to achieving its ambitious 10-year vision for the UK’s heritage.
Heritage Fund writes:
Last month I was in Wales to celebrate the 850th anniversary of The National Eisteddfod. I had the pleasure of visiting Cardigan Castle, the site of the first recorded Eisteddfod hosted by Lord Rhys ap Gruffydd in 1176. I was also captivated by the magnificent giant puppet of Lord Rhys that’s helped bring the story of Eisteddfod’s roots to thousands across Wales during its summer tour. The trip was a powerful reminder of heritage’s ability to bring people together, build pride in place and connection to the past. Under our new three-year delivery plan we will fund hundreds more projects that do just this, investing in the communities that care for heritage, in every local authority across the UK, so it can continue to thrive for generations to come.
Since launching Heritage 2033 in 2023, we’ve supported more than 1,750 projects with £885million in grants that are helping save cherished places, develop new skills, tell overlooked stories, kickstart careers for young people and build stronger local economies. It’s a privilege to invest this money, raised by National Lottery players, and to see the difference it makes. But I also see, and hear from you, about challenges and opportunities facing your heritage and communities. I understand that these continue to evolve, and I know that we must, too. Heritage 2033 was always intended to be both ambitious and adaptable. Our new delivery plan reflects this. It builds on what’s working, responds to what we’ve heard from applicants, grantees and partners, and focuses our investment where it can make the greatest difference.
What we plan to deliver in 2026–2029
Over the next three years we are committed to investing over £1.4bn in heritage across the UK – from protecting historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to preserving collections, traditions and stories. Every grant – large and small, at local, regional and national level – will be an investment in stronger places, more resilient organisations and opportunities for people to connect with, care for and sustain heritage for now and the future. We encourage ideas that celebrate the heritage that matters to your community and plans that are shaped from the outset by local priorities and aspirations. We’re particularly interested in seeing applications for projects that:
- engage more young people with heritage – we’re planning to invest £20m in these projects
- protect heritage most at risk, including places of worship, historic ships and museum collections
- support people to develop heritage skills and create employment and volunteering opportunities
- involve partnerships, including with commercial organisations to create economic growth through bringing heritage assets back into productive use
- help organisations that care for heritage to become more resilient, financially sustainable and better able to respond to future challenges
- strengthen understanding of climate risk and support practical action to protect heritage for future generations
We also know we’ll achieve more by working together. That’s why we want to build new partnerships with organisations that can help us reach under-served communities, co-design projects, deliver funding where it’s needed most and increase the impact of every pound invested.
Working with you to achieve our shared goals
Investment is only part of the picture. We’ll also continue to listen, learn and adapt by reporting on the impact of our funding, publishing what we’re learning about our approach and responding to what applicants, grantees, partners and our data tell us. One of the messages we’ve already heard is that applying for funding should be simpler. That’s why we’re improving our grant application system and making our funding processes more accessible and easier to navigate. We want you to spend less time writing applications and more time developing projects that will make a lasting difference for your heritage and your community. A great point of pride of my role is that around 95% of our grant decisions are made by teams and committees who live and work in the nation or area where applicants are based, ensuring our investments reflect local knowledge and priorities. I look forward to more project visits in the months and years ahead, to meeting you, hearing about your priorities, exploring your local heritage and building on everything we’ve achieved so far.
