Kevan Jones, Member of Parliament for North Durham, attended the launch of ‘First World War: then and now’- the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Centenary grants programme, on Wednesday 15 May.
At a reception in the House of Commons, HLF announced a £6 million programme of small grants to help local communities mark the centenary of the First World War in 2014. Grants of between £3,000 and £10,000 will be available, with £1 million being allocated each year until 2019, to groups seeking to explore their First World War heritage and deepen their understanding of the conflict.
Mr. Jones said, “I am very pleased to attend this launch, and would like to commend the Heritage Lottery Fund for making this money available to help communities mark this very important occasion.
“The Centenary of the First World War should allow us all an opportunity to reflect and remember, and these grants will allow local people to tell their community’s stories about the conflict. I will be getting in touch with local schools and community groups in my constituency to raise awareness of the programme, and I would encourage any groups planning to mark this event to find out more about the scheme.”
More information on the scheme and how to apply can be found at http://www.hlf.org.uk/HowToApply/whatwefund/FirstWorldWar/Pages/FirstWorldWar.aspx
Kevan is pictured below with Dorothy Hall and Janet Brown of the North East War Memorials Project. More information about the project can be found at http://www.newmp.org.uk/