How county heritage has been winner with 25 years of Lottery
AS the National Lottery celebrates its 25th birthday, it has revealed it has invested £30.3 million in Leicester’s heritage.
In a quarter of a century more than £40 billion has been raised for good causes around the UK. Since the first National Lottery draw on November 19, 1994, money from every ticket sold has been given to good causes, in the areas of arts, sport, community and heritage.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund distributes funding to heritage projects.
In Leicester, money raised by National Lottery players has enabled achievements for the city’s heritage, including:
■ Restoring the historic gates of
Victoria Park and celebrating the heritage of the city’s parks and their role in community life through the Story of Parks project.
■ Telling the story of the reburial of King Richard III at Leicester Cathedral. Lottery funding created an exhibition, installed interpretation and trained tour guides to ensure the story of the king and the city can be shared for generations to come.
■ Lottery funding also helped discover the exact location of the Bosworth Battlefield itself and rejuvenated The Old Town area around the cathedral, where Richard’s remains were found.
■ Sharing countless community stories including through the Forgotten Champions project, which saw school children explore the lives and legacies of Leicestershire suffragettes.
■ Getting more young people involved in heritage through schemes led by places such The Y (Leicester YMCA), which set up a panel of young people to make funding decisions.
Anne Jenkins, director of England, Midlands and East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “It’s the National Lottery’s 25th birthday and a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the impact of National Lottery funding across the UK and in Leicester.
“From saving historic buildings and helping nature to thrive to celebrating our diverse cultures and shared stories, there is so much that quite simply would not be possible without National Lottery players.”
There is so much that quite simply would not be possible without National Lottery players