In 2018 The Y was awarded £707,500 through the National Heritage Lottery Fund’s pioneering “Kick the Dust” funding programme. Funds have been used to support our project “Y Heritage”, a collaboration between The Y, key partners such as our universities and local authorities and the city and county’s wide and brilliant variety of heritage, cultural and creative organisations. The money has been used to better engage young people with heritage across both city and county. With thanks to National Lottery Players for their support, without them projects such as Y Heritage could not happen.

Y Heritage has coordinated a series of “Dragons Den” style pitches over the last three years where Leicester/Leicestershire based organisations applied for funding up to £30,000 from a panel of young people who all engage in some way with The Y. The applying organisations must have built opportunities for work or training into their project funding application. Our aim was for young people and the heritage projects to develop and thrive together – you can watch short films and find out about some of the great projects Y Heritage has supported below…

What is Heritage?

Heritage is really wide-ranging and includes many things from the past that should be preserved for future generations. This does not mean it is solely historic sites or buildings; see below a list of things that make up our heritage. For an understanding of Heritage in all its many forms have a look at some projects supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

• archaeological sites;
• books or documents;
• cultural traditions;
• historic buildings;

• people and communities;
• places and events;
• languages and dialects;
• landscapes and gardens;

• memories and experiences;
• places and objects;
• natural heritage.

Y Heritage are currently running a project with Rob Watson where young people are being taught the skills needed to run their own podcasts! They’re learning everything from research and interviewing skills to recording and editing. Click on the link below to see what they’re been getting up to.

Y Heritage Podcast Sessions

Heritage Open Days 2020

Footage and interviews from our recent Heritage Open Day event, an interactive and immersive tour within The Y Theatre. Put together by our young people, supported by the Documentary Media Centre, this was a journey into the history of the theatre and the YMCA movement.

Sanctuaries: Looking for Safe Spaces

ArtReach were awarded Y Heritage funding in October 2018, have a look at what they did with their Y Heritage funding here: ⇒

The New Custodian: Leicester Print Workshop

Following the progress of the restoration of a c.1840s Columbian Printing Press. From pallets to printing!

Leicestershire Cares Project

The Leicestershire Cares funded project involves care experienced youth working together to discover, create and promote positive cultural histories about care. With this project, excellent progress is being made through the use of Heritage Caption Cards. These cards are used as prompts and discussion starters to get engaged and thinking about different aspects of care. The use of photovoice and photo-elicitation has also been key to help prompt positive memories of care.

Heritage Ambassadors receive AAA Foundation award