- Area:
- Wales
- Release date:
- 6 12 2007
It’s a question often asked by most people who play the National Lottery: “Where does my £1 go once I’ve purchased a ticket?”
Over the next few weeks, the Big Lottery Fund aims to tell the people of Powys and Swansea exactly how Lottery funding has been spent in their area, highlighting the difference it has made to the lives of people of all abilities and ages in their communities.
The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has awarded £65 million of Lottery money to good causes in Powys (£33 million) and Swansea (£32 million) since the National Lottery was formed 13 years ago. To celebrate, BIG has been working closely with selected Lottery retailers in both counties, with the aim of showing people exactly how their Lottery £1 has been put to good use in their community.
BIG has produced two special editions of its magazine, Big Times, especially for people living in both areas. The magazines are packed with stories and useful information about the difference that Lottery funding has had on the lives of people in both counties over the years. Every customer who buys a lottery ticket at selected retailers will receive a complementary copy of the magazine.
Lottery money has benefited a variety of organisations and projects in both counties. For example, people of all ages and abilities living in isolated rural communities in Powys are accessing a wide-range of services, thanks to a Community Transport scheme funded with the help of over £188,000 from BIG. The money has enabled the Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO) to buy a specially adapted minibus to support people in communities across the county.
One of the people to benefit from the project is 33-year-old Paul Rowlands from Rhayader. In April this year the married father of two broke both his arm and his leg in a horrific motorbike accident. Over the ensuing months, he found out for himself just how vital the community transport project run by PAVO really is:
“I can’t drive because I can’t put weight on my leg and my wife Karen doesn’t drive either,” he explained.
“Public transport is quite limited over here, so organisations like PAVO are a Godsend and they’ve been absolutely brilliant. The local bus service doesn’t fit in with my hospital appointments and due to my injuries, it’s not practical for me to use public transport. And with me unable to work and no money coming in, we wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for taxis all the time.
“So without the community transport scheme, we would have been completely lost. PAVO has a special minibus, adapted for people with disabilities and they also have friendly volunteer drivers, who are always willing to lend a helping hand. They drop you off outside the hospital and pick you up when you’re ready to leave. It’s free for me as well because I’m unable to work at the moment because of the accident.”
Homelessness is among the number of issues being tackled with the £32 million invested in Swansea. Lottery money allowed Cyrenians Community Centre in Swansea to set up a drop-in centre for 16-25 year olds to help them get their lives back on track. The aim of the centre is to enable those who are homeless or threatened with homelessness to gain access to support and advice on health, housing and education.
Reaping the benefits of the project is 23-year-old Sian Richardson. Originally from North Wales, she found herself homeless on the streets of Swansea at 19: “I have completely turned my life around,” she explained.
“Homelessness can happen to the best and the worst of people, yet getting back on your feet is achievable. At the beginning it felt like there was no way out of this hole, but I got the right support and, thanks to Cyrenians, I got there.”
Highlighting the impact Lottery funding has had on communities throughout Wales, Big Lottery Fund Director in Wales, Ceri Doyle, said: “Wales has benefited greatly from the National Lottery and the Big Lottery Fund is currently investing around a million pounds a week in projects across Wales that improve our communities and increase the opportunities available for the people who live within them. We believe it's important that every lottery player knows where the money is spent and that every lottery ticket they buy is helping fund worthwhile projects in their area.
She added: “Many would be surprised to hear that some projects close to where they live have received lottery funding. The truth is we all live within a stone’s throw of a project that has received an award of Lottery money.”
As part of the initiative, BIG is also offering people in Powys and Swansea a golden opportunity to win a year’s supply of National Lottery tickets!
Every one who picks up a copy of Big Times has the opportunity to win a 52 week subscription to play one set of numbers on Wednesday and Saturday’s Lotto game. There are four opportunities to win, as a prize will be awarded to the first four correct entries drawn at 5.00pm on the closing date of Thursday 31st January 2008.
For your chance of winning and finding out more about the £65 million Big Lottery Fund has invested in Powys and Swansea, pick up a special copy of Big Times at the following retailers or call us on 01686 611702.
Lottery retailers in Powys
1.G & A Jones, Station Crescent, Llandrindod Wells
2.One Stop, Welshpool
3.Spar, Welshpool
4.Stars Newsagent, Newtown
5.Co-op Store, Machynlleth
6.Harry Tuffin Store, Churchstoke
7.Curios Gift Shop, Builth Wells
Lottery retailers in Swansea
1.Good News Lotto Kiosks, Swansea Market
2.Choc Box, Raven Hill, Swansea
3.Spar, Dunvant, Swansea
4.Spar, Mount Crescent, Morriston
5.Mumbles Post Office, Mumbles
For further information on the work of Big Lottery Fund and the grant programmes available, visit the website on www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.
Further information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 02920 678 207
Out of hours contact: 07760 171 431
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102 030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.
Notes to Editors:
- In Wales, the Big Lottery Fund is rolling out close to £1 million a week in Lottery good cause money, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across Wales most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
- The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £20 billion has now been raised and more than 280,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
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