‘Just Imagine’ the difference as The National Lottery smashes £31 billion milestone

Wednesday January 1, 2014: The National Lottery launches a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the massive impact that £31 billion in project funding has had across the UK since the first National Lottery draw 20 years ago this year.

Called ‘Just Imagine’, the innovative digital and social media campaign, uses a range of techniques to encourage the public to consider an alternative reality of what might have been if The National Lottery had not funded more than 420,000 arts, sport, heritage and voluntary projects across the UK.

The campaign begins with a video interview of Seb Coe, who gives a personal reflection on what the UK will miss out on as a result of ‘losing’ the bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Coe is interviewed for a pseudo rolling news item on July 6 2005 after IOC president Jacques Rogge has announced Paris as host for the 2012 Games, instead of London. http://bit.ly/19WsNeU

The campaign is launched as The National Lottery reaches the £31 billion funding milestone.

Commenting on the campaign, Seb Coe said: “The London Olympic and Paralympic Games were a truly remarkable achievement, created by such a large number of people and organisations. The National Lottery was one of those organisations, delivering £2.2billion in funding and playing such a vital role in helping us realise the dream of delivering the greatest sporting and cultural event in the world. Without the funding generated by The National Lottery and its players our nation would be a very different place.”

Released on Twitter (@lottogoodcauses #JustImagine) and Facebook today, the Seb Coe Just Imagine news report is the first in a series of 31 items to feature through January – one for each day and each £1 billion raised.

The campaign will run through the first four months of the year, with further phases including an original animation movie telling the story of funding, and other “positively disruptive” digital techniques, according to a National Lottery spokesperson.

Vicki Kennedy, Director of The National Lottery Promotions Unit, said: “National Lottery players have now raised an incredible £31 billion for the arts, sport, heritage and voluntary sectors. This money has transformed sporting performance, preserved our rich heritage for future generations, made our cultural industry the envy of the world and helped so many charities through hard times. Through 31 fun and thought-provoking pieces of content, this campaign will demonstrate the life-changing difference that National Lottery funding makes.”

To enable people to learn more about National Lottery funded projects in their area, The National Lottery has launched a ‘Good Cause Finder’. To see projects in your area, or to find out more about Just Imagine January, visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

-ENDS-