What is Otley 800?
Otley 800 is a year-long programme of community events and activities that will take place in 2027 and 2028 to mark two pivotal moments in the town’s history:
- 800 years since Otley was granted its market charter
- 800 years since the building of the bridge over the River Wharfe, linking Otley with North Yorkshire
Together, these moments helped shape Otley into the town it is today.
When will Otley 800 take place?
The Otley 800 programme will run from May 2027 to June 2028, and will be bookended by two proposed major community celebrations:
- A celebration of Otley’s market heritage (proposed May 28–31, 2027)
- Otley Carnival and a Riverside Pageant (proposed June 18, 2028)
Between these dates, a range of community-led events and projects are expected to take place.
What are Otley 800 community grants?
Community grants are proposed to support local organisations, groups, and charities to deliver events or activities as part of the wider Otley 800 programme.
Funding is intended to help communities explore, celebrate, and share Otley’s heritage in ways that are inclusive, sustainable, and meaningful.
Who is providing the funding?
Funding is expected to come from two main sources:
National Lottery Heritage Funding (NLHF): Otley Town Council is applying for National Lottery Heritage Funding at the end of March 2026 with a view to supporting additional activity. If successful, this would release further funding for community projects..
Otley Town Council: An initial funding pot is currently available, with applications invited via an Expression of Interest (EOI) process.
Is funding available now?
Funding is not available at this point in time but an initial funding amount has been approved by the council. At this stage applications are opening for an initial round of funding via an Expression of Interest (EOI) process.
Decisions on this first round are anticipated by late September 2026.
Will there be more funding later?
If the National Lottery Heritage Funding application is successful (a decision is anticipated towards the end of 2026), a second wave of funding is expected to open.
This later funding round is anticipated to support additional community events during the Otley 800 programme period, with applications likely opening in early 2027.
Who can apply for a community grant?
Community grants are expected to be open to:
- Community groups
- Charities
- Voluntary organisations
- Cultural, heritage, environmental, and creative groups
- Not-for-profit organisations based in or serving Otley
Final eligibility criteria will be confirmed alongside each funding round.
What kinds of projects can apply?
Projects should link clearly to Otley 800 and the town’s heritage, past or present. In particular, we are keen to support projects that reflect the arc of Otley’s commercial and trading heritage, recognising the pivotal role the market and the bridge played in shaping the town as a thriving centre of trade and connection.
. This could include (but is not limited to):
- Events and festivals
- Exhibitions, performances, or talks
- Heritage, history, or storytelling projects
- Environmental or landscape-based activities
- Community engagement or skills-building initiatives
Projects do not need to cover everything — but they must demonstrate clear alignment with the Otley 800 principles (see below).
What criteria will grants be assessed against?
All grant decisions will be guided by four core principles, based on National Lottery Heritage Funding priorities:
- Saving heritage
- Protecting the environment
- Inclusion, access and participation
- Organisational sustainability
Applicants will be expected to consider all four, but the emphasis and focus is for each organisation to decide and demonstrate within their application.
Understanding the funding criteria
The criteria below are based on National Lottery Heritage Funding priorities and will guide all Otley 800 grant decisions. Wording taken from the National Lottery website.
Further details on the four criteria (click to read more)
Saving Heritage
Heritage at risk: We will commit funding to protect, conserve and revitalise heritage of all kinds that is in poor condition or at risk of loss, decline, damage, neglect or of being forgotten – ensuring it is valued and better understood.
Invest in places: Heritage has a unique role in bringing people together where they live, work and visit. We will increase people’s connection with the heritage of their local places through targeted investment in our historic and natural environment.
Revitalise and maintain: We will invite proposals to work with us to develop the skills, capacity and innovation to sustain and manage heritage. We will identify opportunities for revitalising diverse types of heritage.
Protecting the environment
Landscape: We will increase our support for strategic and landscape-scale projects – both rural and urban – that help habitats and species thrive, reducing and mitigating the impacts of climate change, while helping people connect to our unique natural heritage.
Nature: We will invest through partnerships to help halt and reverse the loss and decline of habitats and species.
Environmental footprint: We will support heritage projects that reduce adverse environmental impacts and help heritage to adapt to our changing climate. If projects involve construction, we will encourage restoration, conservation and reuse, rather than new build.
Mitigation: We will collaborate to bring natural, built and cultural heritage stakeholders together to identify and mitigate climate risks to heritage and involve people in bringing about positive behaviour change.
Inclusion, access and participation
Involve a more diverse range of people in heritage, investing in volunteering, heritage careers, co-creating projects, leadership, governance and developing knowledge and skills.
Enable organisations to remove barriers to access and participation, particularly for people who are under-served by heritage.
Support all communities to explore and share their heritage, with a focus on making the stories of our four nations more inclusive of everyone’s heritage.
Accessible digital heritage resources: Support greater use of digital technology to make heritage more accessible and enjoyable, and promote better access to heritage information, enabling projects to increase impact and reach.
Organisational sustainability
Support financial sustainability: We will continue to offer funding to build resilience, providing organisations with capacity and expertise to develop their long-term organisational and financial plans.
Support heritage skills development: We will collaborate with partners to identify opportunities to build capacity, skills and expertise in heritage, to contribute to thriving communities and economies.
Provide flexible funding: We will offer flexible financial support in the early planning stages of projects for preparatory analysis and activities. We will also make available follow-on funding for time-limited periods on completion of significant capital projects to help embed operational stability.
New finance and investment: We will champion the use of more diverse income sources such as green finance and commercial approaches and help build the capacity and skills needed to deliver this.
However, applications should show thoughtful consideration of all four principles and clearly explain:
How the project contributes in practical, realistic ways
Which areas are most relevant to the project
Why those areas have been prioritised
Who will decide which projects receive funding?
All community grants will be awarded by a grant committee formed by Otley Town Council.
The final make-up of the committee and the detailed assessment process are currently being developed and will be shared once confirmed.
How do I apply?
For the current funding round, applications are being invited via an Expression of Interest (EOI) process.
Please see the application form here.
Further details on how to submit an EOI — and what information is required — are available on the Otley 800 website.
Application processes for any future funding rounds will be published once confirmed.
Can I talk to someone before applying?
Yes — groups are encouraged to explore ideas early and seek guidance before submitting an application. At this stage, please direct any queries to James Ellis at Endure Communications
Details on how to make contact will be published on the website and updated as the programme develops.
Where can I find updates?
All confirmed dates, funding rounds, guidance, and application details will be shared on the Otley 800 website and through Otley Town Council communications.
As plans are still evolving, applicants are encouraged to check back regularly for updates.
Didn’t find the answer you were looking for?
If you have any further questions, please email James Ellis at Endure Communications – we will collate them into categories and add them to the page.