Kelpies, Ewan and Sir Chris appear on mural for Lottery’s 25th year
THE Kelpies, Ewan McGregor and Sir Chris Hoy have more in common than simply being Scots icons – each of them features among the national treasures to benefit from the National Lottery.
A list of celebrated causes funded by the nation’s favourite gamble, which also includes Idris Elba’s career as a movie director and the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, has been put together in a piece of art to celebrate the Lottery’s 25th year.
The 25-strong list of treasures is depicted in a mural by Scots sculptor and installation artist David Mach.
The piece features a mix of famous and lesser-known beneficiaries, and covers the fields of sports, film, heritage, the arts and community projects.
David, from Methil in Fife, said: “For the past 25 years, there is barely a part of our cultural, sporting and community life that has not been positively influenced by National Lottery funding.
“As someone who is involved in charities and institutions, and has artwork commissioned from National Lottery funding, I know the impact it has had on the UK.”
The artwork, titled United By Numbers: The National Lottery at 25, was unveiled this week.
It was shown for a day in the window of a shop in Manchester which has been selling National Lottery tickets for 25 years and is available to view online at www.unitedbynumbers.co.uk.
The Kelpies – the world’s BY RICHARD JENKINS reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk biggest equine sculptures – in Falkirk’s Helix park take pride of place on the mural after receiving £25million of funding from the Big Lottery Fund in 2005.
They appear alongside Scots acting legend McGregor, who features for his role in Trainspotting 2 – one of the first films to benefit from Creative Scotland’s Production Growth Fund, which handed over £500,000 of National Lottery cash.
Edinburgh’s Hoy, who won six Olympic golds in track cycling, appears too, alongside fellow champion Victoria Pendleton.
Their careers peaked at the London Games in 2012, which would not have been possible without Lottery funding. Victoria said: “The National Lottery helps thousands of athletes across the country reach for their dreams and inspire the nation.” Luther star Elba, meanwhile, received help from the National Lottery for the 2018 film Yardie, which he directed, while lesser-known projects depicted in the mural include the Morecambe Brass Band, which was one of the first projects to receive Lottery funding. Paralympic icon Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and recent athletics world champions Katarina JohnsonThompson and Dina Asher Smith also feature.