In the last year alone, over £145 million of Lottery funding has been invested in good causes across Scotland and now The National Lottery is encouraging these projects, and any organisation that has received Lottery funding over the past 16 years, to enter the awards and gain national recognition for their work. 

Rebecca Gowrley of The National Lottery Awards, says: “These Awards are the annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects. Lottery players raise £28 million every week for projects both large and small, which benefit people, places and communities all across the UK. The National Lottery Awards recognise how Lottery-funded projects put that money to good use and celebrate the people behind the projects who work so tirelessly to make their organisations a success.

“If a Lottery-funded project has had a positive impact on your local area, made a real difference to your life or if you are personally involved with a project that is transforming your community, we want to hear from you.”

The entrants that make it to the finals of The National Lottery Awards will receive national recognition at a star-studded event broadcast on BBC One later this year. They will also have a chance to win a £2,000 cash prize.

Dr Ben Darvill, Director of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, is joining Rebecca in encouraging Lottery-funded projects to get involved. The Scotland-based conservation charity won the Best Environment Project category in 2010. 

Ben says: “Taking part in The National Lottery Awards last year was a great experience and it was fantastic to be the only Scotland-based project to take home a winner’s trophy. The awards gave us the opportunity to raise further awareness of the importance of bumblebee conservation and the overwhelming support we received from the public gave the team a wonderful sense of achievement. It would be great to see another Scottish winner this year.”

The National Lottery Awards have seven categories - each reflecting an area of Lottery funding: Sport; Heritage; Arts; Environment; Health; Education; and Voluntary/Charity.

If you want to see a project from Scotland celebrated in this year’s National Lottery Awards go to the Awards website or call 020 7960 6828. Entries must be received by 5pm on Friday 18 February.

Notes to editors

The winning project in each category will receive national recognition at a star-studded event broadcast on BBC One later in the year. Winning projects also receive a £2,000 cash prize to spend on their project. This is in addition to the Lottery funding they have already received.

Now in their eighth year, The National Lottery Awards recognise and celebrate the difference that Lottery-funded projects – both large and small - make to communities across the UK, and celebrate the difference that the people behind them are making.
               
Any Lottery-funded project or organisation is eligible to enter the awards.

Projects that are nominated must complete The National Lottery Awards 2011 entry form to be eligible.

The National Lottery Awards opened for entries at 9am on Monday 10 January 2011. The deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday 18 February.

Shortlisted projects will compete in two rounds of public voting later in the year to determine the winner. All voting will be independently verified.

Since The National Lottery began in 1994, Lottery players have raised over £25 billion for good causes and over 350,000 grants have been awarded across the UK.

Further information

Sarah Myers, National Lottery Promotions Unit on 0141 242 1414 or sarah.myers@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk.