We’ve hit £50 billion for Good Causes

Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £30 million is raised every week for Good Causes, funding over 700,000 projects across community, heritage, sport and the arts in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In addition to changing the face of communities throughout the nation, more than 7,400 millionaires have been created and £95 billion paid out in prizes to winners since the launch of The National Lottery in 1994 .

To mark the 30-year anniversary and impact of £50 billion in Good Causes funding, 30 Game Changing Moments have been immortalised in an exhibition by photographer Thomas Duke – unveiled at The National Portrait Gallery in London. The exhibition is available to view online only.

(Left to right) Darren Henley, CEO of Arts Council England, film director, Gurinder Chadha, Alison Rashley, executive artistic director of Television Workshop, artist, Thomas Duke, actress, Vicky McClure, Andria Vidler, CEO of National Lottery operator Allwyn and Baroness Fiona Twycross

Thomas Duke has used his unique style to highlight some of the most memorable cultural moments of the last three decades made possible with the help of National Lottery funding.

Thomas is known for his project Stepping Through Film where iconic photographs are rephotographed within the context of their original location. He travelled the length and breadth of the UK to recreate the moments which recognise our success in sport, arts and film, preserving natural and built heritage and bringing communities together. Actors Michael Sheen and Vicky McClure, Olympian Jess Ennis and Lioness Chloe Kelly, are among several famous faces featured in the exhibition.

Three decades of National Lottery funding has created an unparalleled legacy: powering athletic excellence, protecting cultural treasures, advancing artistic achievement and strengthening communities nationwide.

Since funding began in 1994, UK athletes have won more than 1,000 Olympic and Paralympic medals. The National Lottery has funded the making of more than 600 films which have won an incredible 551 awards, including 16 Oscars, 128 BAFTAs and 34 Cannes awards.

Popular attractions and notable landmarks across the UK such as the Eden Project, the Giant’s Causeway, the Kelpies, the Angel of the North and Wembley have all received support from The National Lottery.

Running alongside these major initiatives are the hundreds of thousands of grants – usually for £10,000 or less – which help small projects to make an amazing difference in their areas.