Since 2016, the Cultural Protection Fund has given grants of over £50 million to 159 projects to protect cultural heritage in 19 countries, but the need for our work has never been greater. Last year alone we received funding requests of almost 20 times the budget for our entire current programme.
Stephanie Grant, Director of the Cultural Protection Fund at the British Council (2024)
Read our Annual Reports to understand the work we do as the UK's response to UK international cultural heritage protection.
2022-2023 Annual Report
- Covers the first year of CPF's current three-year programme which consists of 33 funded projects distilled from 999 Expression of Interests - almost 20x the budget for the entire programme.
- Majority of applicants focused on heritage at risk due to conflict. (This was the case for 65% applicants for large grants, and 73% for small grants applicants).
- 94% of projects have diversified the local economy.
- 82% projects achieved better management and preparation for potential threats with cultural heritage at risk.
- 199 new roles created, reaching 9000 people in training and awareness raising activities.
- Emergency response included supporting with damage assessment following the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria as well as the restoration of cultural heritage damaged by the August 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.
2023-2024 Annual Report
- Covers the second year of CPF's current three-year programme where nearly half of the projects in 2023-2024 are locally led in target countries.
- Conservation of 86 separate heritage sites and monuments, 4337 objects documented, 132 pieces of inangible cultural heritage protected.
- Creation of 755 jobs, engaging 6046 through workshops, reaching +1 million online.
- 142 new partnerships with CPF funding enabling our grantees to leverage additional funding of £683,000 to enable further heritage protection activities.
- Launched new pilot funding rounds in Nepal and Pakistan, attracting 148 expressions of interest.
- Emergency response included awarding trusted partner Cultural Emergency Response to contribute flexibly to respond to several events that threatened cultural heirtage, this included the continuing conflict in Ukraine. CPF also awarded a grant to support preparations for remote damage and risk assessment of cultural heritage in Gaza and the documentation of damage to sites.
