About CHI
The Community Heritage Initiative (CHI) was a five-year programme to help Leicestershire and Rutland residents, of all ages, learn about, appreciate, explore and conserve the area’s natural and wider heritage. 
The programme, based in Leicestershire County Council’s Environment and Heritage Service’s Historic and Natural Environment Team, was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant in October 2003 and completed activities at the end of November 2008.
The HLF grant award was for £516,000 towards the predicted programme costs of £598,000. CHI also received financial support from Rutland County Council.
The aims of the programme stated that:
- "The CHI programme will raise the profile of natural heritage and biodiversity recording and Leicestershire County Council’s museum services natural history collections, within the area of Leicestershire and Rutland.”
- "The programme will develop greater access to, and understanding of, natural heritage and biodiversity information, and encourage greater participation from all sectors of the diverse communities of the two counties through skills development, appropriate information, direction and new opportunities for engagement. This will lead to a motivated and inspired community to record and celebrate the area’s natural and countryside heritage.”
A summary of the programme is available to download. CHI Programme Summary (265kb, PDF Document)
Produced by the Community Heritage Initiative, which was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Rutland County Council
Page Last Updated: 13 May 2013
