Eight heritage projects in London have been given funding to record the history of the city’s working classes.
The untold stories of the Rastafari community at London’s longest running squat in Kennington, people’s experiences of homelessness in Waterloo’s Cardboard City, and tales from the diverse community living and working in Chinatown are amongst projects that Historic England will be funding across the next two years through its Everyday Heritage grant programme, celebrating working class histories.
When the nursery workers said no: The Islington Nursery Strike, On the Record – Credit: Julia Manning Morton
Historic England received over 380 applications and has chosen to fund 56 community-led projects – eight in London – that will explore the stories of people and places at the heart of our history. The total amount of funding awarded by Historic England will be £875,000 ranging from £6,800 – £25,000 per individual project.
More than £180,000 has been pledged towards projects in London.
Co-created projects will uncover the story of the 1984 nursery workers strike in Islington, as well as the community-focused history of Kingswood House in Dulwich – a Victorian ‘castle’ in the middle of a council estate – and the Old Fire Station in Stoke Newington.
Another project in London will explore the history of a Canning Town pub which became a leading live music venue, playing host to Iron Maiden and Dire Straits and helping launch music careers including Depeche Mode and bands like Paul Youngs’ Q-Tips.
Encouraging people to engage with their local heritage, these projects will support them to tell their own stories, in their own way, and to connect with others in their local communities.
Tom Foxall, Historic England Regional Director, said: “There are so many hidden histories to uncover here in London. Every community has a story to tell and we want to hear them. This is the strength of our Everyday Heritage grant programme, which funds projects that are community-led and really engage with local people by empowering them to research and tell their own stories. I’m excited to learn more about these fascinating projects as they shine an important light on our working class heritage.”
The Everyday Heritage grant programme aims to shine a light on the diversity of our heritage and is part of Historic England’s commitment to ensuring that a wider range of people are able to connect with, enjoy and benefit from the historic environment. Launched in 2022, the programme has already funded 57 projects from across England.
A sample of projects that will be funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grant programme in London:
- Untold histories of St Agnes Place, House of Dread, Kennington
- The Lost City of Cardboard: A Homelessness Heritage Project, The Bridge At Waterloo
- 40 Years, 40 Stories: The Everyday Heritage of People Working in London’s Chinatown (1985-2025), China Exchange
- Echoes from the Bridge, Eastside Community Heritage, Canning Town
- When the nursery workers said no: The Islington Nursery Strike, On the Record
- Looking Out: The Old Fire Station, Stoke Newington
- Seasons of Kingswood Life, Kingswood Arts, Dulwich
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