JUST THE TICKET: How York has spent its £43 million of heritage lottery cash

Next time you walk past the recently-refurbished Mansion House or gaze up at the glories of York Minster's newly-restored East Window, give yourself a little pat on the back.

Because if you ever buy a National Lottery ticket - which, let's face it, is most of us - you're justified in feeling you helped to pay for them.

Those of us who do splash out on a lottery ticket every now and then probably don't think about how we're helping to protect the history and heritage of York, says Sir Ron Cooke, Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Region of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). But we should.

"If you buy tickets each week you certainly might win a fortune, but you also can be certain that you are contributing to extraordinarily good causes," says the former vice chancellor of the University of York.

The HLF made a significant contribution towards the cost of the £1.7m restoration of the Georgian Grade I listed Mansion House. But in York, it has done far more.

"We only have to step outside, into the streets and snickelways of our city, to be amongst so much history which has been repaired, protected, maintained and enjoyed by all, thanks, in part, to the National Lottery money that has come through the Heritage Lottery Fund," Sir Ron says.

The HLF has been the country’s largest funder of heritage since the organisation was created in1994. Throughout the UK it has so far awarded more than £7.6 billion to more than 41,000 projects.

A decent share of that has come to Yorkshire and Humber. The HLF has now made more than 3,500 grants worth more than £500 million pounds to projects in the region; and in York itself the HLF has supported more than 185 projects with an investment of £43million.

So where has the money gone?

It doesn’t just go to restore buildings and conserve artefacts, Sir Ron says. "It creates jobs, it trains local people in new skills, it recruits volunteers, and it can energise whole communities, helping young and old alike to discover more about their history and their heritage. It taps into people’s energy and enthusiasm. What better way to celebrate our past for the benefit of our future?"

You only have to look at the grant applications received for all manner of projects to realise the commitment and determination of professional and amateur heritage groups alike to protect what they hold so dear and to share it with others, Sir Ron says. That is why education programmes, special events and activity days are such an important part of projects supported by the HLF.

Two of the key projects supported by the HLF in York and our area in recent years, in addition to the Mansion House, are:

- York Minster, with its magnificent East Window (restored thanks to an HLF grant). The Minster welcomes more than 600,000 visitors a year to York, making it Britain’s third most visited cathedral, after Westminster Abbey and Canterbury. It has received £10.5 million in HLF grants, not all for the East Window.

- The National Railway Museum, which with its star attraction, the restored Flying Scotsman, hosts about 750,000 visitors a year. The NRM has received £1.9 million of HLF funding.

Not all HLF grants go to big crowd pullers, however, Sir Ron says.

In one small, central area York boasts more than 1500 listed buildings. Then there are its art collections, museums, galleries and libraries. Many of these have benefited down the years.

HLF grants have helped acquire for Fairfax House a 17th century wooden panel that was carved by Grinling Gibbons, the so-called 'Michaelangelo of wood', who himself had York connections (a £100,000 grant); the York Film Archive has digitised its collection (with the help of a £362,000 HLF grant); and the Quilters Guild has saved members’ fascinating stories (an £89,000 grant), to name but a few.

The HLF also supports the natural world. It gave a large grant to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to help it with maintaining several local nature reserves, including the unique fenland habitat where medieval settlers dug out peat, now known as Askham Bog. It also supported St Nicholas Fields, the city’s environmental oasis where, recently, grant aid helped teach volunteers how to scythe grasslands (various grants, including £288,000 for an urban wildlife park).

Then there's York's Rowntree legacy. No discussion of the city’s heritage would be complete without mention of Rowntree, Sir Ron points out. "Rowntree Park, created by the family firm as a memorial to employees lost in the First World War, was restored to its former glory with a £1.3 million grant."

The job of conserving, restoring and improving York's heritage is shared by many organisations and individuals, from the city council to private property owners. York is exceptionally fortunate to have one unique charity, the York Conservation Trust, that buys, restores and then finds uses for uses more than 90 Grade I or Grade II listed buildings. It has invested more than £50m in this task over the years, Sir Ron says.

Without the efforts of all those, professional and non-professional alike, who have dedicated themselves to keeping York special, the city wouldn't be what it is today.

"Heritage is not merely about buildings, it is about people," Sir Ron says.

"The difference HLF support makes is only as strong as the commitment it encourages and receives from local people and their organisations. There are many quite modest projects, undertaking small but vitally important repairs to churches and other historic buildings. There are community, family and cultural events, and special anniversaries, such as the centenary of the First World War.

"The cumulative effect of HLF grants has been to enrich the life of this city; those who live, work and learn here, and those who visit from across the globe.

"It is clear to see the great benefit that National Lottery funding continues to have on all aspects of York’s heritage. Your National Lottery ticket may not win you the jackpot but the city remains a prizewinner!"