After announcing last October that it will be making £10m available for anniversary and commemorative projects over the next four years, the Heritage Lottery Fund is now open to applications through three funds.

Sharing Heritage is for smaller projects, with grants for £3,000-£10,000; Our Heritage is for those between £10,000 and £100,000 and Heritage Grants is for large projects between £100,000 and £2m.

As well as a host of events nationwide to mark the cetenary of the start of WW1 this year, there is likely to be events recognising the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth this year, the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo in 2015 and 50 years since England won the football World Cup in 2016.

Focus Consultants and architect firm, Purcell, ran a seminar in Nottingham earlier this month advising on how to be successful in gaining grants and gave hope that European funding will be available soon.

Partner at Focus Consultants, Kevin Osbon, told delegates: “Funding opportunities come and go. Keep your networks. Keep looking. Now is the time to liaise with and make your case for funding support to your LEPs, as European funding is likely to come on stream in the summer.”