Partners & Funders

We are very grateful for the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund which provided the core funding for the programme by awarding a grant of £335,000 over four years. Thanks also for generous additional funding from the DfES, the DCMS, the Frognal Trust, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the WO Street Charitable Foundation and a number of individual donors. The project was implemented in close co-operation with English Heritage’s Education Department which provided expert advice and support. The Churches Conservation Trust also provided invaluable help and support.

Amongst many other projects, the Heritage Lottery Fund supports projects that improve people’s opportunities to access, engage with and learn about heritage. Their Heritage education and access projects focus on widening participation from disadvantaged groups and people who have not been involved in heritage before.

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) aims to give children an excellent start in education, to enable young people to equip themselves with life and work skills, and to encourage adults to achieve their full potential through learning.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) aims to improve the quality of life for all through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries. It believes in culture for all and seeks to achieve this through education and social inclusion.

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is a registered charity whose primary concern is to address issues of inequality and disadvantage, particularly in relation to young people and through the arts, learning and education. 

English Heritage is the national leader in heritage education and their Education Department is providing expert advice and support to the Audience Development Programme. English Heritage’s Outreach Managers are actively engaged with the Civic Trust’s Heritage Open Days and were closely involved with the Audience Development Programme.

The Churches Conservation Trust was set up to care for architecturally or historically important Church of England churches no longer needed for parish use. The Trust has joined with English Heritage to establish an education service for schools and colleges to unlock the education potential of the remarkable buildings in its care.