The Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) was a small grants programme (£3,000 to £25,000) launched in 2000 to help communities bring their local heritage to life.

LHI provided funds, advice and support to enable communities to investigate, explain and care for their local landmarks, landscape, traditions and culture.

From renovations to re-enactments, oral histories to heritage trails, interpretations to investigations, many aspects of local heritage are in a better state of repair, better understood and better cared for as a result of LHI and the energy and commitment of local communities.  

From 2000 to 2006, LHI collected the records and stories from these projects to produce a national archive of England’s rich and diverse local heritage for future generations to learn from and enjoy. This comprehensive archive is available to view via the LHI Projects Directory page of this web site.

This hugely successful LHI programme, administered by the Countryside Agency, funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), and with additional sponsorship
from Nationwide Building Society, awarded over £23 million to more
than 1,400 communities over six and a half years.

The LHI programme is now closed, but the LHI web pages are still accessible and provide an excellent resource for learning about the types of projects that received local heritage funding, including archeaological, customs and traditions, industrial, natural and built projects.