£15m lottery boost for city projects

New figures show that 185 National Lottery grants were given out during 2016, providing a vital boost to arts, sports and heritage projects alongside community groups helping those most in need.

A wide variety of local projects received National Lottery grants last year, including the Sheffield Occupational Health Advisory Service (SOHAS), which was given £9,043 to provide support to people who have had a stroke.

The Landscape Heritage Research Foundation was also given £9,800 to help preserve Norton’s World War 1 Flying Legacy.

Almost £10,000 was givn to the Vulcan Table Tennis Club. The £9,983 grant will help the group to run after school table tennis activities for pupils and their families.

These groups, or any organisation that has ever received National Lottery funding, now also have the possibility of gaining nationwide acclaim by entering The National Lottery Awards 2017 . This is an annual search for the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects.

John Barrowman MBE, presenter of the National Lottery Awards show, said: “The awards put the focus on ordinary people doing extraordinary things with National Lottery funding, whose efforts are indeed changing lives.”

National Lottery Awards cover seven categories; sport, heritage, arts, environment, health, education and voluntary/charity. There is also a special achievement award.

National Lottery Awards winners will receive a £3,000 cash prize and national recognition at a ceremony broadcast on BBC One later in the year.

If you wish to nominate your favourite project in this year’s National Lottery Awards, tweet @LottoGoodCauses with your suggestions or call 0207 293 3329 to find out more and to enter. Entries must be received by midnight on April 7.