Between 5-13 June 2021, National Lottery funded organisations and attractions will offer free entry and other deals to visitors who show a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard. Will you join them?

Thanking National Lottery players

Since March 2020, over £1billion of National Lottery funding has helped communities, people and organisations impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic get back on their feet.

National Lottery Open Week is a great way to say #ThanksToYou. This annual initiative, which began in 2017, has grown to include 650 offers and reaches 14 million people.

“We are at the start of our journey building audiences and this campaign genuinely brought in new people and raised the profile of our work as a funded charity.”

2019 participating organisation

A fantastic opportunity

Being part of Open Week is not only a direct way of thanking National Lottery players for their support, it benefits your organisation, too.

Open Week benefits from a major National Lottery advertising campaign. Previous participants have reported increased visitor numbers and interaction on their social media channels. Many have received national and local media coverage during the week.

It’s also a great way of welcoming new people and reminding visitors that you are open for business as we emerge cautiously from lockdown.

A participant from 2019 said: “We are at the start of our journey building audiences and this campaign genuinely brought in new people and raised the profile of our work as a funded charity.”

What you could offer

Free entry is the most straightforward offer, but other deals could include:

• discounted or 2-for-1 tickets
• complimentary tea and cake
• free parking
• a free gift
• access to a space or experience usually closed to the public

Don’t forget, social distancing is likely to remain a requirement in June, so make sure you factor that into your offer. Using a pre-booking system to manage numbers is recommended where appropriate.

Be a digital participant 

If physical access to your site won’t be possible in June due to coronavirus restrictions, there are still lots of ways to get involved in Open Week digitally. You could offer: 

• free access to online workshops  
• a discount at your online shop 
• a free digital tour of your attraction 
• an exclusive Open Week online Q&A session with a curator or project leader 
• a voucher for a free gift that can be redeemed when you re-open 

Need more inspiration?

Popular offers from previous years have included:

• Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre offered free entry to their attraction in 2019 and saw an increase of 500 visitors compared to the previous year.
• Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in County Down, Northern Ireland offered 2-for-1 entry tickets.
• The Circus House in Manchester offered free circus workshops.
• The Royal Academy of Art in London offered free tickets to the exhibition ‘Eco-Visionaries’.
• Hereford Cathedral offered free cloisters tours.
• Stonehenge gave away free hot drinks to anyone with a National Lottery ticket.

Sign up

Register your organisation to take part. You can also find FAQs and more offer examples and suggestions.

Don’t worry if you can’t confirm your offer just yet, you can finalise it nearer the time.