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Across the United Kingdom, some of the most meaningful historical records are held not only by established museums and national institutions, but also by communities seeking to preserve their own stories. The National Archives is supporting this work through a programme designed to help people research, document and share the heritage of the places they call home. The initiative, known as the Spaces, Places and Belonging: Community Hub, is a UK-wide programme supporting inclusive, community-led research across galleries, libraries, archives, museums and the wider heritage sector. Led by The National Archives, it offers grants, training and digital tools to help groups explore and celebrate local histories. Its approach recognises that heritage is not limited to famous buildings, celebrated historical figures or events recorded in official documents. The experiences of neighbourhoods, local organisations and individual communities can also form an important part of the historical record. Community-led projects give people an opportunity to investigate those experiences and help determine how their stories are presented and preserved. The programme offers several routes for people who want to begin or expand this work. Seed Corn Grants are intended to help groups test ideas, establish local partnerships or explore their heritage for the first time. Skills Bursaries support individuals who want to develop abilities in areas such as research, storytelling, digital tools and community engagement. Project Grants provide support for larger collaborative projects, including exhibitions, oral history collections and digital archives. Applicants can also access resources and training through a permanent digital platform intended to share learning and good practice. This gives the programme a role beyond funding individual projects: it also provides a way for participants to exchange approaches and learn from other community heritage initiatives. The National Archives resource pack places this work alongside other organisations and resources supporting community history. The Community Archives and Heritage Group, for example, supports and promotes community archives in the UK and Ireland, bringing together organisations involved in preserving locally significant material. The group has organised conferences since 2006 and introduced its Community Archive and Heritage Awards in 2011 to celebrate the importance of these collections and encourage good practice. Another resource highlighted by The National Archives is the Heritage Funding Directory, which lists more than 400 potential sources of funding and provides guidance, case studies and application advice. These resources offer further avenues for groups looking to turn an interest in local history into a structured project. For communities with stories that have not been widely documented, the opportunity is practical as well as cultural. An oral history collection, a local exhibition or a digital archive can help preserve experiences and make them accessible to future researchers and residents. The programme's emphasis on co-curation also places communities at the centre of decisions about how their heritage is explored and shared. The initiative offers a reminder that the UK's historical record is continually being developed. Alongside established collections, community-led research can help bring local memories and experiences into view, giving people more opportunities to participate in preserving the history around them.
Across the United Kingdom, some of the most meaningful historical records are held not only by established museums and national institutions, but also by communities seeking to preserve their own stories. The National Archives is supporting this work through a programme designed to help people research, document and share the heritage of the places they call home.
The initiative, known as the Spaces, Places and Belonging: Community Hub, is a UK-wide programme supporting inclusive, community-led research across galleries, libraries, archives, museums and the wider heritage sector. Led by The National Archives, it offers grants, training and digital tools to help groups explore and celebrate local histories.
Its approach recognises that heritage is not limited to famous buildings, celebrated historical figures or events recorded in official documents. The experiences of neighbourhoods, local organisations and individual communities can also form an important part of the historical record. Community-led projects give people an opportunity to investigate those experiences and help determine how their stories are presented and preserved.
The programme offers several routes for people who want to begin or expand this work. Seed Corn Grants are intended to help groups test ideas, establish local partnerships or explore their heritage for the first time. Skills Bursaries support individuals who want to develop abilities in areas such as research, storytelling, digital tools and community engagement. Project Grants provide support for larger collaborative projects, including exhibitions, oral history collections and digital archives.
Applicants can also access resources and training through a permanent digital platform intended to share learning and good practice. This gives the programme a role beyond funding individual projects: it also provides a way for participants to exchange approaches and learn from other community heritage initiatives.
The National Archives resource pack places this work alongside other organisations and resources supporting community history. The Community Archives and Heritage Group, for example, supports and promotes community archives in the UK and Ireland, bringing together organisations involved in preserving locally significant material. The group has organised conferences since 2006 and introduced its Community Archive and Heritage Awards in 2011 to celebrate the importance of these collections and encourage good practice.
Another resource highlighted by The National Archives is the Heritage Funding Directory, which lists more than 400 potential sources of funding and provides guidance, case studies and application advice. These resources offer further avenues for groups looking to turn an interest in local history into a structured project.
For communities with stories that have not been widely documented, the opportunity is practical as well as cultural. An oral history collection, a local exhibition or a digital archive can help preserve experiences and make them accessible to future researchers and residents. The programme’s emphasis on co-curation also places communities at the centre of decisions about how their heritage is explored and shared.
The initiative offers a reminder that the UK’s historical record is continually being developed. Alongside established collections, community-led research can help bring local memories and experiences into view, giving people more opportunities to participate in preserving the history around them.
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