Since 1994, the National Lottery has raised more than £43billion for good causes. Of this, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has distributed over £8.2bn to more than 48,000 heritage projects across the UK.

Each year, The National Lottery Awards celebrate the inspirational people and projects who do extraordinary things with the help of that National Lottery funding. Celebrating these achievements is more important than ever in the face of the challenges that the last year has brought.

This year’s shortlist includes four heritage projects funded by us. Which one gets your vote for National Lottery Project of the Year?

Pollinating the Peak

Populations of bumblebees have crashed in the UK over the last 80 years due to habitat loss, climate change and pesticides. The Bumblebee Trust’s ambitious Pollinating the Peak project, based in Derbyshire, is working hard to revive their numbers. A National Lottery grant of £967,200 is helping them to raise awareness of the links between the countryside, food and bumblebees.

Activities including citizen science surveys and pollinator-friendly flower planting are inspiring people to look after and look out for bumblebees.

Vote on the Lottery Good Causes website or by using #NLAPollinating on Twitter.

Mackintosh at the Willow

The Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow – one of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s most iconic buildings – has been restored to its original glory thanks to £4,939,200 National Lottery funding. Mackintosh at the Willow is now a ‘living museum’ and social enterprise, providing employment, training and volunteering.

The tea rooms opened in June 2018 and, even with closures due to the pandemic, welcomed 500,000 visitors in its first two years for afternoon tea, exhibitions and events.

Vote on the Lottery Good Causes website or by using #NLAMackintosh on Twitter.

Reimagine, Remake, Replay

Young people aged 16-25 make up just 11% of museum visitors in Northern Ireland. The Reimagine, Remake, Replay project, led by the Nerve Centre, helps young people take the lead in making museums more relevant, accessible and enjoyable for them. Supported with £949,600 National Lottery funding, the project aims to connect with over 4,000 young people.

They are opening up the collections of seven Northern Ireland museums by using innovative technology, including 3D scanners and printers, laser cutters and apps. The project continued during lockdown with online events including a mental health festival, creative writing courses and mobile photography classes.

Vote on the Lottery Good Causes website or by using #NLAReimagine on Twitter.

The Green Valley Conservation and Heritage project

Thanks to £10,000 National Lottery funding, the Cynon Valley Organic Adventures site has been transformed from derelict wasteland into a community garden full of people, nature and wildlife. The garden runs along the edge of the river with a wet woodland area, an old orchard, a large pond and a number of allotment spaces which grow food for their foodbank. A rustic cafe and solar powered compost toilet have also been built.

It is helping the people of this former Welsh mining village improve their employability skills and wellbeing through gardening and connecting with nature.

Vote on the Lottery Good Causes website or by using #NLAGreenValley on Twitter.

Find out more and cast your vote today

Visit the Lottery Good Causes website to see the full list of projects and to cast your vote. Voting closes on Monday 4 October at 5pm.

Winners recieve a £3,000 prize and will be announced later this year. 

Have a project idea?

Got an idea for your own project that could make a difference to people and heritage in the UK? Learn more about what we fund and get in touch with your local team to discuss your idea further.