For the first time all funding decisions up to £5 million made by the National Lottery Heritage Fund will be decided in Scotland
A funder has announced a major devolution of decision-making.
For the first time all funding decisions up to £5 million made by the National Lottery Heritage Fund will be decided in Scotland, allowing greater autonomy and the ability to respond directly to Scottish heritage priorities.
This move is part of new plans to distribute more than £1 billion of National Lottery money to the UK’s heritage over the next five years.
The announcement came as the fund, which has distributed £855 million to more than 4,000 projects across Scotland over the past 25 years, unveiled a new look.
A fresh new identity and name – from Heritage Lottery Fund to The National Lottery Heritage Fund – is designed to thank National Lottery players and help people better understand the difference they make when they buy a ticket.
Research has found that National Lottery players are keen to know more about how their money is used, so in future every organisation awarded funding will be asked to think about how National Lottery players will be thanked, acknowledged and invited to participate in their work.
A new, simplified portfolio of funding has opened for applications. This will include National Lottery Grants for Heritage - an open programme for any type of heritage project in Scotland from £3,000–£5 million.
Ros Kerslake, chief executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Over the past 25 years, money raised by people who buy National Lottery tickets has profoundly changed how we view and engage with the UK’s exceptionally varied heritage. By putting people at its heart, it has helped our wonderful buildings, iconic landscapes, cultural memories and traditions and native species not just survive, but thrive.
“Over the next five years, The National Lottery Heritage Fund will inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage, distributing more than £1bn. So we will be making more decisions on funding locally and focusing on the heritage that really matters to people, creating jobs, bringing economic prosperity and improving people’s lives right across the UK.”
Scottish projects which have been funded include the V&A Dundee; The National Museum of Scotland, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Scapa Flow Visitor Centre, Nevis Landscape Partnership, the Great Trossachs Forest Gateway and South of Scotland Golden Eagles.
