A Lotto new players to benefit from the new and improved St Brigids

County Players and New Recruits say Thank You to Lottery Players for their club

Deaghlan O'Hagan and James Loughrey will be kicking off the new season with a difference this year – using giant Lottery balls! They're giving a special training session down at St Brigids in South Belfast's Musgrave Park, as a way for the club to say a ‘Thank You’ to Lottery players. 

St Brigids GAC recently celebrated its first 10 years in existence as an ‘open door’ policy sports club - welcoming Catholics and Protestants, men and women, children and adults, to play Gaelic football, hurling and ladies football.

Until now, space and facilities has limited the Club’s numbers and ambitions for growth, but thanks to an injection of £162,000 - part of the £56 million of Lottery funding given to Good Causes across Northern Ireland last year - St Brigids can now take its doors ‘off the hook’.

Lottery funding doesn't just support grassroots sports projects, but thousands of Good Causes across Northern Ireland - both large and small.  The special training session at St Brigids is part of a UK-wide campaign, which aims to bring to life the diverse range of projects that benefit from the £25 million raised for Good Causes by Lottery players each week.

Oliver Lennon, the club's chairman explains, "Lottery funding has been a huge boost to the club and has assisted us greatly in paying for the development of the playing pitches at Musgrave Park, a facility that has cost over £500,000 to establish. Last year we celebrated the official opening of the facility as well as our first 10 years of existence – in many regards this facility will be the cornerstone on which we build the next 10 years of development and growth. HE continues; “We have over 800 members, including over 300 children participating in Gaelic games. Our membership base is drawn from all facets of the diverse society in South Belfast and we work closely with other sports clubs and organisations in the local community – most notably Belfast Harlequins rugby club and Aquinas soccer club. Our aim as a club is to encourage children and adults to participate in sport as a means to get active and keep healthy, whilst strengthening our relationships with other clubs, schools and sports organisations throughout South Belfast.”

Wayne Storey, a member of Belfast Harlequins, has been playing rugby for years but is now ready to start in a new season as a Gaelic Footballer for the first time, he says: "St Brigids has given me the opportunity to try a new sport and to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle during what is normally ‘off season’ for most rugby players. I hadn’t played Gaelic Football before, but since training I've realised that I love it, which is why I've started playing dual sports. I play the Lottery but didn't realise projects like our club benefit - I really want to say thank you to Lottery players for helping St Brigids to provide these facilities for the likes of myself, and many others like me throughout South Belfast. "

Giant Lottery balls, in all shapes and guises, will be popping up at various locations around Northern Ireland, so people can see how Lottery funding benefits their local area. Look out for them at Belfast’s Ulster Hall, Bagenals Castle in County Down, Men’s Health & Fitness Initiative in County Tyrone, Bogside & Brandywell Health Forum in Derry and the Art of Regeneration Project in Fermanagh.

Joan Grenville from The National Lottery explains: “We think it’s important that Lottery players know about all the fantastic projects, both in their area and across the UK, that are made possible thanks to £25 million they help raise each week just by playing the Lottery. We hope that people will go to Lottery-funded projects like St Brigids or go online at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and see the difference the funding is making.”

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Ten Lottery funding facts you might not know:

1. Each week Lottery players raise £25 million for Good Causes across the UK

2. Last year alone, (1st Apr 07 – 31st March 08), more than £56 million was given to help thousands of community projects, in Northern Ireland

3. More than 14, 500 Lottery grants – both big and small – have been awarded to projects in Northern Ireland since the Lottery began

4. The Lottery is 15 this year! Since its launch in 1994 more than £22 billion has been raised for Good Causes

5. Over 300,000 Lottery grants have been given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment since 1994. But they all have one thing in common, they make a positive difference to communities across the region, helping the lives of local people and improving the places they enjoy

6. Over half of all Lottery grants are under £5,000, helping projects make a big difference

7. The National Lottery has been investing in elite sport for over 11 years.  In fact, the Beijing Olympics was the most successful medal haul for Great Britain since 1908

8. Since the Lottery began in 1994, over £1 billion has been raised for projects that support people’s health and wellbeing

9. Over £10 billion of National Lottery funding has gone to projects that benefit children and young people

10. For information about the National Lottery Good Causes and what's going on in Northern Ireland visit, www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

To find out how to apply for National Lottery funding, visit: www.lotteryfunding.org.uk or call 0845 275 0000.