GAME, SET AND MATCH TO VETERANS’ CHARITY IN THE NATIONAL LOTTERY AWARDS 2015
18th Medi 2015
Judy Murray presents Erskine Care Home heroes with National Lottery Award for UK’s Best Sport project
Today (Friday 28 August 2015) Judy Murray presented the residents and staff of veterans’ charity Erskine with a National Lottery Awards trophy.
The charity received nearly 5,600 votes to win the Best Sport Project for its ‘Erskine Commonwealth Games’ project in this year’s National Lottery Awards - the annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects.
The Erskine Commonwealth Games commemorated the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games with a programme of sporting and cultural activities enabling the resident ex-service men and women to get active and feel a sense of connection to the Games.
The charity wins a £2,000 cash prize, an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy and will attend a star-studded Awards ceremony, The National Lottery Stars, broadcast on BBC One on 21 September.
Erskine has five care homes across Scotland that all took part in the ‘Erskine Commonwealth Games’. All 376 residents were involved in some way and sports included balloon tennis, basketball, wheelchair weightlifting and cycling.
Judy Murray said: “It’s a pleasure to present the veterans and staff at Erskine with a National Lottery Award for Best Sport Project.
“They are thoroughly deserving winners. People often think of National Lottery funding being invested into elite sport and facilities but the project run by Erskine is a great example of the difference the money is making to people of all ages and abilities. One of the veterans here was inspired by the project to get back into cycling at the age of 98 years – what an achievement!”
Steve Conway, Chief Executive of Erskine, added:
“Sport isn’t perhaps the first thing that comes to people’s minds when they think of Erskine Homes but that makes us all the more proud to have won this award. The Erskine Commonwealth Games project was a fantastic success and all our veterans thoroughly enjoyed trying new activities and rekindling old sporting passions.
“It’s amazing to know people voted in their thousands to recognise us as the UK’s Best Sport Project. Winning this prestigious award is testament to the hard work and belief of our staff, residents, volunteers, and our many supporters.”
Ends
Nodiadau i olygyddion
Notes to Editors:
• The Erskine Commonwealth Games received £9,756 of National Lottery funding through the Big Lottery Fund
• There are seven categories in the National Lottery Awards, reflecting the main areas of Lottery funding: arts, education, environment, health, heritage, sport, and voluntary/charity
• On average the National Lottery players raise over £34m each week – making a life changing difference to the nation.
• To date there have been an average of 144 national Lottery grants for every postcode district
• Further information at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact:
Natasha Brown on 0782 7281116 or Natasha.Brown@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk