Olympic Star Celebrates 25 Years of The National Lottery Changing Lives in Wales

Thanks to National Lottery players, the lives of ordinary people the length and breadth of Wales have been transformed over the past quarter of a century. More than 50,000 National Lottery grants have been awarded since 1994, helping to strengthen our communities, power our sports teams, support the development and progress of athletes such as Jade Jones, protecting the environment, unleashing local creative talent and looking after the elderly and those at risk.

A wide variety of projects in Wales have received National Lottery funding over the last 25 years. Large grants have gone to:

• Developing and creating the iconic Principality stadium in Cardiff- home to Wales’ national rugby team which also hosts other world-class sporting events such as football, motor sports, boxing, along with concerts and conferences (£46.4 million);Creating and developing the National Botanic Garden of Wales visitor attraction and conservation centre in Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire, which features the world's largest single-span glasshouse (£26 million);

• Creating and developing the National Botanic Garden of Wales visitor attraction and conservation centre in Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire, which features the world's largest single-span glasshouse (£26 million);

• Rebuilding and re-opening the Welsh Highland Railway which runs past the foot of mount Snowdon through the picture postcard scenery of North Wales. The UK’s longest heritage railway is a major tourist attraction (£4.2 million);

• Breathing life into an underused indoor market building in the centre of Wrexham to create Tŷ Pawb (‘Everyone’s House’ in English) - a cultural hub, performance and exhibition space (£2.5 million).

Most National Lottery grants, however, are for £10,000 or less:

• £4,360 for Celf-Able Limited in Welshpool to provide courses and sessions for members to meet and produce art work about the visibility and invisibility of disabled people in society;

• £9,100 to Cymru Creations for the ‘Tredegar in the Trenches – A Welsh Town at War’ project in 2017; and

• £1,500 for Llangefni Netball Club on Anglesey to upskill coaches and increase equipment.

Flint’s double Olympic Taekwondo Champion, Jade Jones, is one of over 1,000 National Lottery funded elite athletes in the UK. The funding allows her to compete and train full time to the highest international standards.

Speaking from the National Lottery funded GB Taekwondo Centre in Manchester where she trains, Jade Jones highlighted the important role that National Lottery funding and support has played in her development and success as an athlete: “Over the last 25 years, the National Lottery has supported the development of thousands of athletes like myself which has helped us to secure podium places at the highest level,” she said.

From today, any organisation that has received National Lottery funding, has the chance to gain nationwide acclaim by entering the 25th Birthday National Lottery Awards – our search for the UK’s favourite ever National Lottery-funded projects.

National Lottery Awards winners will receive a £10,000 cash prize and national recognition at a glittering ceremony broadcast on BBC One later in the year.

To enter your favourite project in this year’s National Lottery Awards, tweet @LottoGoodCauses with your suggestions or complete an entry form through our website www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards . Entries must be received by midnight on 30 April 2019.

To thank National Lottery players for making these achievements possible and to celebrate the massive difference The National Lottery has made – and continues to make – to lives of people across the UK, the National Lottery is working on a range of plans in the run-up to the 25th Birthday in November. Further details will be announced in due course.