The National Lottery has celebrated the landmark achievement of over £2.5 billion being distributed to more than 75,000 Good Causes in Wales with a giant, hope-inspired Fingers Crossed sand sculpture on popular tourist destination Tenby beach.
From grassroots sports, heritage projects, and arts initiatives to vital health and wellbeing services, The National Lottery funding has made a significant difference to the lives of people across Wales since funding began in 1994.
To mark this incredible £2.5 billion milestone, The National Lottery joined together with Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club, one of 75,000 projects that has received National Lottery support, to celebrate the positive impact the funding has provided. Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club provides volunteer patrols on Tenby’s beaches, as well as lifeguard training, education and workshops.
The National Lottery and Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club gathered to reveal a striking 7ft sand sculpture representing the iconic National Lottery ‘Fingers Crossed’ symbol. Part of a series of National Lottery Fingers Crossed installations across the UK, this installation symbolises the hope and optimism the funding to Good Causes provides to local communities in Wales.
Tai Jackson, Chairman from the Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club said, “The National Lottery funding has been truly life changing. We recently received £8,000 which has greatly supported our club and development. The equipment that we were able to purchase included new racing boards and rescue boards, which really helped deliver the training we need for our members to develop surf lifesaving skills, with many going on to become professional lifeguards. Our Surf Lifesaving Club base was built using National Lottery Funding back in 2002 and we’ve received several grants since, without that support we wouldn’t have our Surf Lifesaving facility where we deliver training to local kids, as well as the equipment that helps save lives on our local beaches.”
In Tenby more than £7.7 million of National Lottery funding has supported almost 200 projects. Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club has received more than £99,000 of National Lottery funding, Tenby Sailing Club has been granted £139,000 and Tenby Sea Cadets has received £48,000 in funding.
The largest grant awarded in Wales was for the Millennium Stadium, now known as the Principality Stadium, which was awarded £46 million of National Lottery funding in 1994. Other notable projects that have been awarded grants, include Conwy Castle, which has received more than £800,000 in National Lottery funding, the Brymbo Heritage Trust which has been awarded more than £12 million and Wrexham Borough Council, which was awarded £2.8 million for the football museum currently being built.
As well as keeping their fingers crossed that the sunny weather continues, locals in Wales are keeping their fingers crossed they could be the lucky ones to win The National Lottery, with an impressive 420 millionaires already been made in Wales.
National Lottery retailer Fiona Malone, who runs Tenby Stores and Post Office in Tenby with her husband Vince Malone, said, “When anyone buys a National Lottery ticket in our shop, we always say good luck, and everyone has that sense of excitement it could be them! When we get a winner in our shop, we have a big celebration and it’s such a great atmosphere. Everyone wants to come to Tenby to be lucky!”
Gillian Taylor, Director of Communications at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery said, “We’re thrilled to celebrate this major milestone which reflects over three decades of support for Wales. None of this would be possible without National Lottery players – it’s because of them that more than 75,000 good causes across Wales have benefitted. Today’s celebration and the Fingers Crossed sand sculpture, symbolise everything The National Lottery stands for – hope, positivity and making a real difference to people’s lives. We’re proud to support organisations like the Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club, that show the difference this support makes to lives every day.”
The Fingers Crossed installations are appearing across the UK in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales over the summer as a poignant symbol from The National Lottery as a celebration of hope and positivity.
