Highlights from an unforgettable National Lottery Open Week
2nd Ebrill 2025
After our biggest National Lottery Open Week to date, we’re rounding up some of the standout moments shared by the incredible teams and volunteers delivering National Lottery-funded projects- and the players who make it all possible.
Zero Mile Gardens, Exeter
Founded in 2023, Zero Mile Gardens supports chemical-free, environmentally friendly vegetable and fruit growing in the local community.
With funding from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Growing Communities Fund, the team runs workshops to help people build the skills and confidence to grow their own food through community gardening.
During National Lottery Open Week, volunteers worked together on a new polytunnel to grow vegetable seedlings for the neighbourhood. This is part of a wider composting scheme that transforms organic waste into nutrient-rich compost to support the garden and produce fresh food for the community.
Ulster Folk Museum and Ulster Transport Museum, Northern Ireland
The Ulster Folk Museum and Ulster Transport Museum, both based in Cultra, County Down, explore Northern Ireland’s heritage- through traditional rural life and transport and innovation. This year, the Transport Museum showcased National Lottery-funded Road racing bikes, while the Folk Museum continues to benefit from support through the Reawakening project.
Both museums offered free entry during the final weekend of National Lottery Open Week and were so popular they welcomed five times as many visitors as usual at each site.
Susan Starrett, General Manager at the two Cultra-based museums said:
“We were thrilled to see such an incredible increase in visitor numbers. This initiative provides a wonderful opportunity to welcome new visitors and encourage those who haven’t visited in a while to return. The visitor numbers are a true testament to the enduring power of history, heritage and the stories that connect us all and we are proud to show our gratitude in this way."
Black Country Living Museum, West Midlands
The Black Country Living Museum, in Dudley, the West Midlands is an open-air museum that brings the region’s industrial past to life. Spread across 26 acres, it has over 50 carefully rebuilt houses, shops and workshops, showing what everyday life was like from the 18th to the 20th century.
It’s a unique and engaging place to experience the sights, sounds and stories of Britain’s industrial heartland and offered free entry for National Lottery players on 20th March.
The museum has also become a bit of a social media star- especially on TikTok- where it shares behind-the-scenes videos about what life was like in the Black Country to its 1.2 million followers.
House of the Binns, National Trust Scotland
Over 500 National Trust properties took part in this year’s campaign offering free entry for National Lottery players.
One property that took part was the House of the Binns, a historic gem in the Scottish countryside. Built in 1615 by Thomas Dalyell, an Edinburgh merchant who found fortune at the court of King James VI and I, the house is steeped in history.
During National Lottery Open Week, visitors enjoyed guided tours showcasing its rich history and unique charm – including royal ceilings, pet sea creatures and the resident peacocks.
CPRE Hampshire
Founded in 1926, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) is a national charity that champions the English countryside, with local branches in every county and more than 40,000 members and supporters.
With funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund- and thanks to National Lottery players- CPRE works with communities across England to help them enjoy, access and protect green spaces.
For National Lottery Open Week, CPRE Hampshire hosted a hedge planting day at Broadlands Estate in Romsey, completing the final 180 metres of a 5km seasonal goal. This work supports local biodiversity and creates wildlife corridors for future generations to enjoy.
A huge thank you to the 800+ incredible venues and projects who took part in this year’s National Lottery Open Week. Your enthusiasm and dedication made it truly unforgettable.
And to National Lottery players- your continued support makes all of this possible, helping to celebrate the places and people that make our communities so special.
We’ve heard some amazing stories from National Lottery players during their visits- including one about an incredible 25-year-old scratchcard.
If you have a National Lottery Open Week moment or photos you’d like to share, please get in touch with us at thankstoyou@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk.
You can view our favourite moments from the week in our Wakelet.