Historic England funds working class history projects

Historic England has awarded 57 projects a total of £774,000 from its Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories fund.

Selected via an open call that attracted more than 500 applications, awards range from £6,000 to £25,000 for each project. 

The successful projects include ones looking at the working-class histories of boxing clubs around Halifax, an exploration of 50 years of nightclubbing in Leicester focusing on Black, African and Caribbean culture, and research into Deptford's 19th century 'slaughterhouse girls' who worked in the area's cattle markets.

Historic England described the projects as "community-led and people-focused, with a focus on heritage that links people to overlooked local historic places and celebrating working-class histories". 

Chief Executive Duncan Wilson said the awardees "demonstrate that heritage is all around us and accessible to everyone".

"They will highlight that wherever people live they are surrounded by historic buildings, landscapes and streets, industrial and coastal heritage that can help bring communities together."

The grants form part of Historic England’s Strategy for Inclusion, Diversity and Equality, published in November 2020 which aims to ensure a diverse range of people in England is able to "connect with, enjoy and benefit from the historic environment".