Help make sure lucky numbers come up for region

As everyone knows, however, the odds are stacked against winning more than a few bob.

But now four lucky people in Yorkshire and the Humber have got the chance make sure good causes can be winners, by assessing projects and making tough decisions on a budget that runs to £8m.

Their varied brief could see them deciding the future of historic buildings, landscapes and even the industrial legacies of the region’s past.

The organisation is on the lookout for people to help after four people decided to leave the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) committee this year.

With an area covering more than 9,000 square miles and a population of just under five million, it is one of the largest territories in the UK and HLF funds a huge range of projects covering the restoration of Victorian bandstands to helping a new generation preserve Holocaust memories.

Amazingly, since its introduction 17 years ago some £380m has been given to almost 3,000 projects both large and small.

Now, HLF is looking for the next generation of people to get involved helping to award funds by taking a place on its regional committee. Those selected could be part of the work of bringing projects to life, and have a say in shaping the future of Yorkshire’s heritage.

The head of the fund in this region Fiona Spiers, says volunteers need to be prepared to give 12 days a year and have a genuine interest and passion in their communities.

“We are not looking for heritage specialists – we can commission those. What we do want are common-sense people who have a joy in heritage and people who are good at communicating with other people.

“I think what we are looking for are people from across the region who have an understanding of the county and its particular quirks and history.

“And of course we are looking for people who can make difficult decisions.”

Three meetings are held in Leeds each year for members while a fourth meeting is held based on trips to several projects.

John Hamshere, chief executive of the Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust and committee member for the region, is leaving HLF this year after six years.

He describes his time with the organisation as “one of the most important and interesting things I’ve ever done” though he says he was initially surprised at the diversity of projects the fund took on.

He added: “I knew about museums and historical buildings but it also covered gardens, wetlands, woods, natural history – the list goes on and on.”

And he is anxious to stress that HLF is not simply about restoring old buildings but about making those projects relevant to a modern world.

“It’s immensely enjoyable work,” he said. “Of course there are hard decisions to make. HLF makes organisations work very hard to get their money.

“But you are doing something immensely important – you are investing in this country, its people and its heritage.”

An example of the many successful heritage projects funded by lottery money is the Renewable Heritage Trust.

In 2003, Mo MacLeod and husband Dave spent £30,000 redundancy money on Howsham, a Grade II listed Gothic watermill near Malton.

“It was a crazy idea,” she says. “Even my mother thought I was mad.”

Set on an island in the River Derwent, the mill was then a ruin. The couple formed the idea of community-led education centre and set up a charity with local residents to restore the building. Fast forward to 2012 and Howsham Mill today is a thriving centre with a packed events calendar.

Ms MacLeod added: “The whole process of applying to HLF is to hone your idea into something that really works. But this mill has nine lives.

“For 250 years it has survived vandals, fire, trees and brambles. It’s a fabulous building in a unique setting.”

Another project helped by the fund was the newly-restored Beaumont Park Bandstand in Huddersfield. It had been 80 years since a band last performed on the same spot and the reason they can now do so was down to the Friends of Beaumont Park volunteers and Kirklees Council. Yet back in 1998 the bandstand no longer existed and locals were often wary about entering the 23-acre Grade II listed park

Fortunately an HLF grant was forthcoming to improve the park and reinstate the bandstand. Now it has been rebuilt based on the original design, thanks to an HLF grant of £165,000.

Anyone interested in becoming a committee member should attend the HLF Yorkshire office in 34 St Paul’s Street, Leeds, on Thursday, May 24 between 2pm and 4pm. Call 0113 388 8030 or email [email protected] to register your attendance.