Sankofa Resilience: Strengthening Our Archive

Black Cultural Archives awarded grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deepen the strength and impact of our archives.

Black Cultural Archives is announcing a £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deepen the strength and impact of our archives and identify resources needed to make the archive more accessible to all audiences.

Black Cultural Archives is the oldest national repository of Black history and culture in the UK and one of the leading non-governmental and heritage institutional voices for the Windrush Generation. Without this funding from the Heritage Fund, these stories would remain unheard.

This critical investment will empower our organisation to enhance archival systems, improve accessibility and safeguard irreplaceable stories that might otherwise remain untold. This project will also help tackle the backlog, plan and build stronger systems, and identify resources required to make the archive more accessible for all audiences. It will help guide how Black Cultural Archives grow, teach, share, and celebrate the stories entrusted to us.

Harlynn Homan, Senior Archivist for Black Cultural Archives, said: “This support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund comes at a pivotal moment. Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re now able to strengthen our infrastructure while expanding how we share these vital stores with researchers, educators, and the public. It will help us ensure these narratives actively shape our collective understanding of Black British culture.”

Stuart McLeod, Director of England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "We are proud to support Black Cultural Archives with this important project to preserve and celebrate the rich heritage of Black communities. This grant will help to strengthen the archive, ensuring that diverse histories are not only protected but made accessible to future generations."