Commemoration through heritage

The National Lottery Heritage Fund (the Fund) was keen to ensure that people and communities across the UK could be involved in marking the centenary of the First World War.

The ‘First World War Then and Now’ community grants programme was launched in May 2013 and gave thousands of groups across the UK the chance to explore the fascinating local and personal stories of the war. This fund awarded over £1million to 126 community-led projects in Wales, covering every local authority area. It created the opportunity for communities to explore, reflect on, and share the heritage of the conflict as it affected not only their locality and their ancestors’ lives, but also the world since 1918.

In Wales, a wide range of people have been involved in researching personal stories, including those behind the names on war memorials, or those left off, or researching stories of the war and its impact, and sharing them through publications, exhibitions, films, drama and social media.

Alongside the community grants, the Fund continued to offer support through its larger grant programmes and in Wales this included the £2.8million grant awarded to the Snowdonia National Park Authority for the development of Yr Ysgwrn and the Wales for Peace project delivered by the Welsh Centre for International Affairs. The evaluation showed that nearly all projects improved people’s knowledge and understanding about the First World War and more than half of project participants felt that the activities had given them a greater respect for other people and their cultures. This is a legacy that can affect lives now and in the future. The Fund continues to work with communities to explore the heritage of war and its impact on people, with funding available for more stories to be discovered and shared. Find out more: www.heritagefund.org.uk