UK’s largest heritage funder chooses Dudley for local transformation

The borough is one of six new places to have been chosen as a Heritage Place by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with selected locations across the UK set to benefit from a multi-million-pound UK-wide investment.

Dudley will join nine others announced in 2023 – including Stoke on Trent and Leicester in the midlands – as part of the Heritage Fund’s commitment to invest £200m in up to 20 areas across the UK.

It is hoped that The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Places initiative, which is aimed at unlocking the potential of the heritage, will connect people to heritage in the places they live, work and visit.

Dudley borough and five other areas join nine locations that were announced in 2023, under The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s plan to invest £200m in up to 20 areas across the UK.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder of heritage in the UK. Awarding funds raised by National Lottery players, since 1994 it has awarded over £9.2billion to more than 52,000 projects.

Heritage Places aims to play a vital role in supporting communities in the long term during challenging times to revitalise the heritage they care about and to explore untapped possibilities, contributing to local identity, increasing heritage skills and boosting pride in places.

Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure at Dudley Council, said:

“We are absolutely delighted that Dudley borough has been recognised as a Heritage Place by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

“This is a testament to the passion and resilience of our communities who have huge pride in their heritage, and we look forward to working closely with the Heritage Fund and local partners to celebrate, protect and promote the incredible heritage of our towns and green spaces.

“This opportunity will enable the delivery of a pipeline of exciting projects and place-based investment within our communities, building on the investment already made by the Heritage Fund over the years across the borough.”

Liz Bates, Director, England at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

“There is real momentum in Dudley borough, and this new long-term approach builds on our recent legacy of investing in Dudley's heritage. From conserving historic town centre features to supporting iconic visitor attractions, money raised by National Lottery players makes a difference in Dudley and as a Heritage Place this work will increase.

“We want to support Dudley Council and partners in realising the potential for heritage to play an active role in the borough’s future, benefitting people, the places on their doorstep and the local economy.”

Through the Heritage Fund’s investment to date, over £4 million has been invested in Heritage Places. At Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon in Northern Ireland, the borough council has created a new 10-year heritage strategy, engaging and consulting with local communities. In Stoke on Trent, the city council has developed a heritage prospectus of capital projects, working with the University of Staffordshire on heritage skills development.

Elaine Bouckley, who volunteers with Friends of Wrens Nest Nature Reserve in Dudley, added:

“We are delighted that Dudley is receiving this recognition, of which Wrens Nest National Nature Reserve is particularly worthy as the birthplace of Abraham Darby who played such an important role in the Industrial Revolution.

“In addition to being one of the country’s most notable geological locations, Dudley features significant limestone quarrying remains and a diversity of rare flora and fauna. The possibilities that this recognition will bring will hopefully enable an even wider audience to protect and celebrate our heritage.”

The other five new Heritage Places announcing today are Barking & Dagenham, Belfast Historic Waterfront, Orkney Islands, Tameside, and Ynys Môn (Isle of Anglesey).

This initiative is part of Heritage 2033, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s 10-year strategy, which includes other initiatives helping places to thrive including Landscapes Connected and Nature Towns and Cities. Together, these programmes aim to tackle the challenges facing heritage and maximise its contribution to people and places across the UK.