The National Lottery Awards are the annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects and to celebrate the difference that these organisations make to local communities. The public are being urged to show their support by casting a vote to decide who will win the title in each of the seven categories.

The finalists are:

Best Arts Project

• Razed Roof: Inclusion Through Practice, Harlow
• mac Birmingham
• Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre, Leeds
• The Smiling Sessions, London

 

Best Education Project

• Community Horticultural Enterprise, County Fermanagh
• Include Duchenne, UK-wide
• Windmills Cafe, Lanarkshire

 

Best Environment Project

• Brighter Future Workshop, Lancashire
• The Green Valley Centre, Wales
• Open Air Laboratories Network (OPAL), London

 

Best Health Project

• Altogether Better Programme, Leeds
• Sense Scotland
• Surf Action CIC, Penzance

 

Best Heritage Project

• Unfolding the Quilts, York
• We Were Brothers: WW1 A Shared Heritage, Northern Ireland
• Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park, Stainborough, near Barnsley

 

Best Sport Project

• Chase Trails Cycle Project, West Midlands
• Active Newcastle
• Bluebird Care Hampshire Disability Cricket Programme

 

Best Voluntary/Charity Project

• Dean and Cauvin Trust, Edinburgh
• Oasis Domestic Abuse Centre, Thanet
• Hands That Talk, Northern Ireland

 

This year’s National Lottery Awards are supported by Lottery draw show host, Myleene Klass, she says:  “The National Lottery Awards recognise the immense impact that Lottery-funded projects have on people and communities across the UK.   Lottery players raise a massive £28 million a week for Good Causes, that’s almost £3,000 every minute.  This funds something for everyone from big projects like museums and art galleries to helping local sport, heritage and community groups.

“These finalists showcase the selfless volunteers and unsung heroes who are using Lottery funding to improve the lives of others.  This is your final chance to pay tribute to them by voting for your favourite project.  Please get behind your local project and secure them national recognition - every vote counts!”

The seven categories in the Awards reflect the main areas of Lottery funding: arts, sport, heritage, voluntary/charity, environment, health (in association with iVillage.co.uk) and education (in association with Best magazine). There will be one winner in each category which will receive national recognition at a star-studded event later this year, broadcast on BBC One, as well as a £2,000 cash prize[1] to spend on their project.

Public voting for the final starts at 9am on 2 September and ends at midday on 26 September. For further details on the finalists, or to register a vote, visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards

 

- Ends –

For further information please contact:

Vicci Moyles, 0207 211 3932, vicci.moyles@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

Notes to Editors

Broadcast quality footage of all project finalists is available from the National Lottery Awards Online Press Office. 

Online Press Office URL:       http://onlinepressoffice.tnrcommunications.co.uk/national-lottery-awards

Password: lottery

• All voting is independently adjudicated and verified by Electoral Reform Services
• 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. Please do not call before lines open as your vote will not be counted but you will be charged for the call
• Best magazine is sponsoring this year’s Best Education Project category. Best is the number one title for celebrity gossip, fashion and beauty news, home and cookery inspiration. Every week it's filled with heart-warming real life stories and practical help and advice for you and your family
• iVillage.co.uk is sponsoring the Best Health Project category. ivillage.co.uk is the UK’s leading content-driven online community for women with more than 2.5 million unique visitors (comScore, 2011). iVillage.co.uk is the first and most established media company dedicated exclusively to connecting women at every stage of their lives 
• There were a total of 70 projects in the semi-final stage of The National Lottery Awards 2011 - 10 in each of the seven categories – which ran from 31 May and closed on 20 June
• There are a total of 22 projects in this final stage of The National Lottery Awards 2011 - three in each of the categories, with the exception of the Arts category which, due to a tie for third place in the semi-final round, has four projects instead of three in the final public voting round