A walk in the park, a trip to the castle, breathtaking churches or the beautiful landscape - what would you miss if it wasn't around?

This is the question being posed by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), as it celebrates its tenth birthday in west Wales this week. The celebrations will mark a decade of working towards preserving our rich past for future generations and are aimed at getting people talking about heritage.

To date HLF has supported more than 1,000 projects in Wales, allocating nearly £140m across the country.

West Wales has undoubtedly reaped the benefits of funding, receiving more than £43 million for 291 projects.

The region has plenty to offer in terms of heritage and HLF would like to see more applicants with a local community focus, to help preserve west Wales' heritage.

HLF grants go towards refurbishing historic buildings for community use or creating new employment and leisure facilities through the restoration of an historic park, or helping a community group to investigate the history of its village.

HLF regularly attends funding workshops and events around Wales where you can find out more about its funding schemes and ask for advice on making an application.

If you would like to invite the team to a funding event in your area, contact Steve Barlow on 02920 234151.