We all know Wales is full of great places, and a new National Lottery supported programme will promote the use of culture and heritage as driving forces to help make these places even greater.

The Great Place Scheme, launched in Wales today, is designed by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and partners to promote intelligent investment in place-based regeneration. Thanks to National Lottery players, grants of £100,000 to £500,000 will encourage applicants to work together to consider how to enhance the role of culture and heritage within society and use them to tackle such wide ranging issues as poverty, inequality, employment, education and health.

The Great Place Scheme can include everything from town and city wide initiatives to smaller, rural proposals and between five and eight projects will be funded across Wales. The activities could range from using arts and heritage in the provision of local education and health services to increasing people’s skills and the development of local strategies to maximise community benefit through cultural events.

Kay Andrews, UK trustee and chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales, said, “The Great Place Scheme is an opportunity and a challenge for local leaders to work together and put culture right at the heart of their plans. An area’s culture is important not just for its own sake; this scheme will show how it can also boost jobs and local economies, improve education and life chances and promote community cohesion and well-being. “Using National Lottery players money we are promoting a step-change in thinking and it is a natural progression from some initiatives already in place such as the Welsh Government’s Fusion programme and the Arts Council’s Ideas, People Places programme. We look forward to hearing how communities across Wales want to use their own heritage to shape an exciting future for everyone who lives there.”

Applications will need to be led by a not for profit organisation and projects will need to demonstrate a contribution to growth in the local economy. An expression of interest should be submitted by mid August with final applications submitted by December 2017. Funding decisions will be made in March 2018.