The projects have been plucked from over 750 entries to go into the public vote to decide the winners of this year’s National Lottery Awards – the annual search for the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects.

10 Mewn Bws is the only Welsh project competing in the Best Arts Project category, FareShare Cymru are in the best Environment category, and Street Football Wales is the only Welsh project competing to win the Best Sport project.

Each project hopes to scoop a £2,000 prize and rub shoulders with television, sport and music stars at the glamorous National Lottery Awards on BBC One in September.

• The 10 Mewn Bws (10 in a Bus) project by trac took 10 musicians from different backgrounds to research Welsh traditional music and interpret it in new ways. Since then they’ve gone on to record an album and perform on tour
• The FareShare Cymru project redistributes surplus edible food from the food industry to organisations throughout South East Wales to help feed people in need. It also provides volunteering and work experience opportunities to people, including those whom the project is helping
• Street Football Wales provides football opportunities for people who are socially excluded through mental health issues, homelessness or alcohol and drug abuse. It has four leagues playing one match a month. It provides weekly sports sessions for participants, as well as a training and education programme.

TV star and actor John Barrowman will be presenting the National Lottery Awards for the fourth time this year: “Every year I am moved by the exceptional work that the finalists of the National Lottery Awards carry out. They typify everything that is right with society – the volunteering, community spirit and selflessness.

“I urge everyone to get behind these three projects as they aim to get the recognition they so richly deserve. National Lottery players should be proud that the £33million they raise for charities every single week goes to projects like this.”

There are seven projects competing for votes across seven categories, reflecting the main areas of National Lottery funding: arts, sport, heritage, health, environment, education and voluntary/charity.

As well as securing their place at the National Lottery Awards show, the project with the highest number of votes in each category will receive a £2,000 cash prize and an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy.

To vote for your favourite go to National Lottery Awards page and follow the campaign on Twitter: #NLAwards.

Voting runs for four weeks from 9am on Wednesday 25 June until midnight on Wednesday 23 July.

To vote by telephone, call:

• 10 Mewn Bws: 0844 836 9670
• Fareshare Cymru: 0844 836 9684
• Street Football Wales: 0844 836 9711

Notes to editors

10 Mewn Bws received £28,987 of National Lottery funding through Arts Council for WalesFareshare Cymru received £243,897 of National Lottery funding through Big Lottery Fund.

Street Football Wales received £172,500 of National Lottery funding through Big Lottery Fund.

Calls cost no more than 5p from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may vary, calls from mobiles could cost considerably more. Callers are advised to check with their telephone network provider to be certain of the cost. No profit will be made from the cost of the phone vote by The National Lottery.

All voting will be independently adjudicated and verified by Electoral Reform Services.

Further information

The National Lottery Awards: Jackie Aplin on 029 2067 8278 / 07917 791 873, email: jackie.aplin@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk.