Gosport community groups urged to apply for lottery funding

The Heritage Lottery Fund supports projects across the UK that focus not just on the events of 1914-1918 but also on the lasting changes the war brought about.

The HLF is making at least £1m a year available until 2019 as part of the First World War: then and now programme for small, community grants.

It provides grants of £3,000 to £10,000 for groups who want to explore, conserve and share their First World War heritage and deepen the understanding of the impact of the conflict.

Groups within Gosport who have already benefited from funding include Friends of Gosport Museum, The Gosport Society, Groundwork Solent and The Historical Diving Society.

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage is now encouraging organisations to take up the offer.

She said: “I’m delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund is making this money available to local communities.

‘Since they began in 1994, they have given £9,758,461 in grants to projects in Gosport.

‘Like many areas across the UK, the impact of the First World War on the people of Gosport was extensive.

‘For those who want to find out more about its legacy or who wish to mark the centenary, I would urge them to get in touch with Heritage Lottery Fund.’

Head of Heritage Lottery Fund south-east England Stuart McLeod said: ‘The impact of the First World War was far-reaching, touching and shaping every corner of the UK and beyond.

The Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘First World War: then and now’ programme will enable communities to explore the continuing legacy of this war and help young people 
in particular to broaden their understanding of how it has shaped our modern world.’

If a group has a project idea to mark the centenary of the First World War, an online application pack is available at hlf.org.uk/ThenAndNow.