National Lottery marks 25 years of Galloway winners

New figures reveal that more than £76 million of National Lottery funding has been invested in Dumfries and Galloway since the National Lottery began almost 25 years ago.

Galloways coastal path route has benefited from Lottery cash

Thanks to National Lottery players, lives of ordinary people have been transformed across the area over the past quarter of a century.

More than 2,300 National Lottery grants have been awarded since 1994, helping to strengthen communities, power local sports teams, protect the environment, unleash creative talent and look after the elderly and those at risk.

A wide variety of local projects have received National Lottery funding over the last 25 years including £19,000 in 1995 to upgrade the tennis courts in Portpatrick, £8,657 to Thornhill Friendship Club to upgrade their facilities, £4,039 to Dumfries and Galloway Over 50s Club to expand its social activities for older people and £9,000 to Let’s Get Biking Dumfries and Galloway, a group who provide opportunities for young people with physical and learning difficulties to access a range of specialised bicycles and tricycles.

Commenting, Jonathan Tuchner from The National Lottery said: “It’s all down to local people who choose to do incredible things with National Lottery funding, changing their communities for the better, step by step.

“I look forward to what we can achieve together over the next 25 years.”

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, a search for the UK’s favourite ever National Lottery-funded projects.

The 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.

The National Lottery’s Heritage Fund last year gave £660,000 towards developing the Galloway coastal pathway .

To enter your favourite project in this year’s National Lottery Awards, complete an entry form through the National Lottery website https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards.

Entries for your favourite cause must be with the Lottery by midnight on April 30.