National Lottery reveals top fundraising independent retailer in East Anglia
17th December 2013
• £2.5 million raised for life-changing projects by Bury St Edmunds newsagent
and its customers
• Local war hero, 94-year-old George Goodchild, who recently received a
National Lottery funded ‘Heroes Return’ award, presents a commemorative
plaque to say thank you
A Bury St Edmunds retailer was today celebrating being named The National Lottery’s
top fundraising independent retailer in East Anglia.
To date, customers of Lorfords, in Central Walk, have helped raise a staggering £2.5
million for life-changing National Lottery projects.
To mark the outstanding achievement, Lesley Bray, manager of the town centre store,
was presented a commemorative plaque by local World War II veteran, George
Goodchild. George, 94, recently received a National Lottery funded Heroes Return
award to visit the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy where he fought so bravely for
his country.
Lesley Bray said: “We were amazed to be told we are the top fundraising independent
retailer in East Anglia. It’s great to get recognition for the hard work we put in to
promoting and selling The National Lottery, and it’s wonderful to know that it really
benefits local projects and people like George.”
David Bell, owner of Lorfords, added: “The plaque will take pride of place in the store,
so that our customers can see what a truly life-changing difference they make.”
The National Lottery supports a wide range of arts, sport, heritage, charity and
voluntary projects. To date, National Lottery players have raised over £30 billion for
National Lottery projects, with more than 420,000 individual awards made across the
UK – an average of 135 lottery grants for every postcode district.
In total, over £1.4 billion has been invested into more than 25,000 National Lottery
projects throughout the East Anglian region.
George Goodchild, who served in the 6th Armoured Division Engineers, recently
received a Heroes Return award from the BIG Lottery Fund, which enabled him to visit
the World War II D-Day landing sites in Normandy.
The BIG Lottery Fund is the largest National Lottery distributor and its Heroes Return
programme helps World War II veterans take part in commemorative visits to mark the
anniversary of events that led to the end of WWII.
George spent most of the war stationed in North Africa and Italy, seeing action at the
Battles of Cassino, and won the Military Medal bravery award for making safe a key
bridge, under enemy fire, which had been wired with explosives. Visiting Normandy
fulfilled a long-held desire to see the beaches where Allied Forces landed and to pay
his respects at the memorials commemorating those who lost their lives. The D-Day
landings marked the beginning of the end of the war.
George Goodchild said: “I was delighted to be asked to present the commemorative
plaque to Lesley. I know just what National Lottery funding can mean to people and
I’m extremely grateful to everyone who made my visit to Normandy possible.
Newsagents like Lorfords and their customers should be really proud that they are
helping make a real difference to hundreds of thousands of National Lottery projects
across the UK.’
Jackie O’Sullivan, Director of the National Lottery Good Causes, said: “The National
Lottery supports projects people really care about, such as the Heroes Return visits for
veterans like George who sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms. We couldn’t do it
though without the efforts and support of independent retailers, such as the team at
Lorfords and their customers who play The National Lottery.”
For more information on projects that have received National Lottery funding, go to:
www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
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For more information on this story, contact:
Jonathon Deacon | jd@jdbrightly.com | 07831 746 725
For more information on National Lottery Good Causes, contact:
Michael Thompson, Head of Media, National Lottery Promotions Unit
Michael.Thompson@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk | 0207 211 3894 | 07734 295 745
Nodiadau i olygyddion
• The operator of The National Lottery, Camelot, delivers on average over £35 million each week to National
Lottery Good Causes.
• To date, over £30 billion has been raised and more than 420,000 individual awards made across the UK
since 1994 – the biggest programme of civic and social regeneration since the 19th Century.
• The BIG Lottery Fund’s Heroes Return programme has awarded over £26.6 million to more than 54,000 Second
World War veterans, widows, spouses and carers across the country for journeys in the UK, France, Germany,
the Middle East, Far East and beyond.
• The National Lottery has so far given away over £49 billion in prizes and created more than 3,400 millionaires
or multi-millionaires since its launch in 1994.
• Accounting for 83% of total sales, retail is the largest National Lottery sales channel. Camelot works with
over 36,700 retailers across the UK, with independents making up the majority.
• Camelot is committed to raising money for the Good Causes designated by Parliament. Camelot is not
responsible for distributing or awarding these funds.
• For further information on Camelot, The National Lottery and its games, please visit:
www.camelotgroup.co.uk and www.national-lottery.co.uk.
• Players of all National Lottery games must be aged 16 or over.