Today Rounders England is pleased to unveil a successful award of £100,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project titled ‘Rounders: Reconnected: Celebrating 80 years of Inclusive Heritage’ will embark on a year-long journey to unearth, document, and celebrate the proud history of rounders in England.
With the support of volunteers, trained to analyse archive material, the initiative will enhance and expand Rounders England’s existing archives. In collaboration with Heritage Quay at Huddersfield University, a management system will be created to guarantee the legacy of rounders for generations to come.
Further project objectives include:
- develop a statistical record and chronological timeline tracing the evolution of the game;
- collect oral histories from key figures who influenced the game’s development;
- co-ordinate heritage events and initiatives during key rounders matches, providing opportunities for memory sharing, interviews and the display of memorabilia and artifacts;
- use oral histories to inspire the next generation, and empowering people through a Heritage Ambassador programme to deliver talks in schools and at events.
Commenting on the award, Karen Harvey, Director of Development for Rounders England, said
“We’re delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players.
There is a rich sporting history of rounders that spans England, and unless it’s captured now it will be lost forever. Having celebrated 80 years of rounders in 2023 it is imperative that we capture as much of that history as possible.”
Rounders England will be rolling out a series of community engagement opportunities which will be shared across our social media channels. If you would like to get involved or volunteer your time to support the project, you can read more about this opportunity and register your interest here.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.
Over the next ten years, the Heritage Fund aims to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.
The Heritage Fund helps protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.
The Heritage Fund is passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.
