Crispin Blunt has today welcomed news that more than £6million of National Lottery money has been invested in Reigate’s heritage projects since 1994.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded 29 grants to heritage projects in the Reigate for activities including exploring local archaeology, restoring local parks and buildings, protecting wildlife, and researching local history. HLF is now encouraging local projects to apply for grants between £3,000 and £10,000 to undertake projects exploring the impact and legacy of World War One beyond 1918.

Additionally, over the last five years, the Big Lottery Fund (BLF) has invested £1.3m into 30 different community projects in the area to support a range of local voluntary and community projects.

Crispin Blunt commented: “At times like this when public money is a scarce resource, it is reassuring to know that money for projects that support our local community are available from the Big Lottery Fund (BLF) I would urge more local charities and community groups to apply for funding from this source.”

“Furthermore, the Reigate constituency has an incredibly rich history and I am delighted to learn that, thanks to the HLF, local people have been able to explore and enjoy that heritage. Like many towns and cities across the UK, the Reigate area we live in today was shaped by the First World War, so I strongly encourage local people to make use of the money available from the Heritage Lottery Fund to explore its legacy further.”

Money is available for WW1 legacy projects through the HLF Community Grant Fund at https://www.hlf.org.uk/looking-funding/our-grant-programmes/first-world-war-then-and-now and for community projects through the BLF at https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/