Wales Celebrates 20 Years of The National Lottery

Winners, projects and Welsh Government today celebrated how The National Lottery has changed lives for 20 years in Wales.

They joined forces at the Lottery-funded Wales Millennium Centre, which has just been voted Wales's best loved National Treasure in a poll on social media that attracted 66,000 votes.

Welsh National Lottery winners and projects gave a big thank you to National Lottery players today (Tuesday 4 November), and Culture Minister Ken Skates highlighted the impact 20 years of Lottery funding has had on Wales.

Ken Skates AM, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, said:

“National Lottery funding has impacted on all parts of Welsh life. Iconic venues such as this Centre and the Millennium Stadium have attracted millions of visitors and given a real boost to our economy. Our heritage and landscapes have been protected and renewed, from The Millennium Coastal Park, the Welsh Highland Railway in Snowdonia, to Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire. On a more local level, communities across the nation have also seen the benefit to their facilities such as parks, chapels and sports clubs. Projects keeping our history alive, and helping more women and girls get active, have also been supported.”

The Centre was a fitting venue for the celebrations as it also celebrates its 10th birthday this month. Built with the help of over £42 million of National Lottery funding, the Centre has now sold 3.3m tickets - more than the entire population of Wales.

Also present were big winners including Les Scadding, who won £45.5million on the EuroMillions in 2009, members of the Valley Boys Syndicate who scooped £4million in the same year and one of Wales’ most recent winners, Nigel Willets, a pub landlord from Caerphilly, who won £1million,

Former lorry driver Les Scadding had been unemployed for 12 months when he scooped £45.5million on EuroMillions in 2009, and he is now Chairman of Newport County AFC. Lyn Sexton and Ian Pearce, from Merthyr scooped £1m on the EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle in 2012, and Barry and Yvonne Bradley, along with their son, Chris, and his wife, Geraldine, from Carmarthenshire joined The National Lottery millionaire club when Barry’s late father, Bob, won £3.5m in 2006.

Meredith Davies, from Llandeilo, scooped a £2,069,730 jackpot 10 years ago and joined his fellow Welsh millionaires in raising a glass to the players who have contributed to the success of the Wales Millennium Centre.

The winners gave out celebratory cake and Lotto tickets to members of the public outside Wales Millennium Centre, in the hope that some of their good luck may rub off!

Reflecting on The National Lottery’s many success stories, Les Scadding said: “I’m happy to be involved with the National Lottery and with Lottery-funded projects in any way I can be. This country would be a far worse place without the support of the National Lottery: our museums, galleries and national landmarks benefit the entire nation.

“I can’t fault the work that Lottery distributors do to help so many local communities and charities. National Lottery players should be proud of the difference their money has made in Wales.”

Alongside Wales Millennium Centre as the nation’s favourite place, Sir Anthony Hopkins was named as Wales’ favourite face. He donated £1 million towards the National Trust’s appeal to purchase parts of Snowdonia. The National Trust has received over £5.8 million of Lottery grants across Wales.

20 years of Changing Lives

Since the first draw on 19 November 1994, The National Lottery has supported thousands of projects and created millions of winners, changing the lives of individuals and communities across Wales and the UK.

192 millionaires have been created, and 1,606 prizes of £50,000 or more have been paid out to Welsh winners.

Communities across Wales have also won – nearly 40,000 grants have been awarded to individuals and organisations across the arts, sports, heritage, health, education, environment, charity and voluntary sectors, amounting to an enormous £1.4 billion over the last two decades.

Alongside the landmark projects, 70% of grants are less than £10,000.

Lottery-funded projects help people fulfil their potential, whatever their talents and interests – sport, drama, culture, or getting involved in communities.

The largest ever National Lottery grant in Wales was for over £46.3 million to build the capital’s Millennium Stadium in 1997.

The smallest of £17 was given to Rhymney Royal Bowls Club in Caerphilly towards coach training.

£961,000 of National Lottery funding also helped restore the Great Orme Tramway in Llandudno, which is Britain's only remaining cable operated street tramway and one of the last in the world

£4,974,500 to Conwy Borough County Council for the restoration of Victoria Pier in Colwyn Bay in 2013

At 20, The National Lottery is still transforming lives – every week around £33 million is raised for projects and six million winners are created.

Across the UK, a massive £32 billion has been raised and 430,000 projects have received funding across the arts, sports, heritage, health, education, environment, charity and voluntary sectors. Over £53 billion has been paid out in prizes and more than 3,600 millionaires have been created so far.
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