The National Lottery-funded moments that made 2025 - from our team

Every week, National Lottery players raise £32 million for good causes. With more than 670,000 individual awards made across the UK, most people will have benefited from a National Lottery-funded project at some point.

This year, our team travelled across the UK and discovered some brilliant National Lottery funded gems. Here are a few of the moments that stood out.

The Peace Museum, Bradford

Our Data Journalist visited The Peace Museum, a genuinely one-of-a-kind space in the UK. It explores the history of peace-making while inspiring the next generation to get involved, and it plays a big role in its local community through events and activities. It also took part in Bradford 2025, with art instigators Mek Summat on their ‘Pin for Peace’ project.

The museum recently moved into a refurbished mill within a World Heritage Site thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, helping to bring their exhibitions to life this year. It’s small, welcoming and full of stories you don’t really find anywhere else.

Paddle Steamer Waverley, Glasgow

For our Head of Campaigns for Scotland, taking her daughters on the Paddle Steamer Waverley was a real highlight. Their visit happened to fall on the vessel’s 50th anniversary since being taken over as a passenger boat and saved for preservation.

This milestone was made possible in part by National Lottery funding in the early 2000s, which supported the vital refurbishment that helped the world's last sea-going paddle steamer cruise into the 21st century. It was great to see the ship busy, well used and as hugely loved as ever on a beautiful sunny Saturday in July.

National Trust, Ham House, Richmond

A memorable moment for our Digital Campaigns Officer was visiting Ham House on a scorching hot day in August. The house is grand, with a gorgeous stairwell, portraits and antiques, and it’s very well preserved for a 400-year-old location. It’s the kind of place where you just can’t stop taking pictures of every single nook.

Their team had also set up old-fashioned sports in the gardens, hula hoops, balls and badminton, and we ended up having a mini sports day, which felt very nostalgic. It was one of those visits where you can genuinely see the impact of National Lottery funding in keeping incredible places like this cared for and open to all.

Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford

A standout moment for our PR Campaign Manager was a trip to Bradford to see the Turner Prize exhibition, hosted in the city’s beautiful Cartwright Hall Art Gallery. The exhibition made a lasting impression, particularly the way sound was used to shape the experience, from the sea rippling through hanging shells in Zadie Xa’s kaleidoscopic, watery installation, to a soundscape of 21st-century Britain that added emotional punch to Rene Matić’s photographic portrait of the UK today.

The scale and haunting, dreamlike quality of Mohammed Sami’s paintings were powerfully impressive, while it was a real joy to walk among Nnena Kalu’s vibrant sculptures, which went on to win the prize. It’s an experience that’s stayed with me long after the visit - helped along by a slice of the café’s delicious cake.

Because of You

All of this is made possible because of National Lottery players.