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From 'Chicken Korma, to Nessun Dorma' For Lytham Community Choir

29th October 2013

Community Choir will feature in a primetime TV ad this weekend as part of the launch of The National Lottery’s new Lotto game.

Filmed outside the Lowry Theatre in Salford, 60 local singers feature in the advertisement, scheduled to be screened for the first time during Saturday night’s ‘XFactor’.

The choir, which is a Park View 4U initiative, will be seen singing some ‘alternative lines’ to a unique adaptation of Gilbert O’Sullivan’s classic ‘Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day’.

Cath Powell MBE, Community Development Manager for the charity Park View 4U who organise the choir, said: “I received a phone call in July asking if we would like to take part in the commercial and we jumped at the chance. We never dreamed we’d end up on telly during the ‘XFactor’!

“It was very interesting seeing how much hard work goes into filming such a small part of an ad, the choir members had a very exciting, but tiring, day. It was incredibly surreal singing about chicken korma over and over and over again, whilst getting on and off of a coach!”

The advertising campaign, brainchild of National Lottery operator, Camelot, will bring together dual messaging to highlight how The National Lottery changes both players’ lives, through the prizes they win, but also changes the lives of those who benefit from National Lottery funding.

Jackie O’ Sullivan, National Lottery Good Causes, says: “People don’t always make the connection between playing The National Lottery and funding fantastic projects the length and breadth of the UK – from local projects that benefit communities, to large-scale transformational capital projects that benefit the whole nation. National Lottery players raise £35 million a week for Good Causes like the Lytham Community Choirand, to date, over £30 BILLION has been awarded to 400,000 projects across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

“This is the most exciting revamp of Lotto since it launched in 1994 and it’s a great opportunity to showcase some of the amazing projects that have benefitted from the money players raise each week.”

The commercial also features Paralympic Athlete Jonnie Peacock, a fair-trade initiative, a farmer and a rugby team. They all represent good causes which have been supported by The National Lottery.

To find out more about local National Lottery-funded projects in your area, visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

Notes to editors

  • Park View 4U received £495,590 of National Lottery funding through BIG Lottery Fund to help support a community centre providing a variety of activities and services for local people, including the choir. For more information, contact cath@parkview4u.org.uk
  • Since it began in 1994, more than £30 billion has been raised for Good Causes by National Lottery players and more than 400,000 grants have been made across the UK. For more information, go to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

For further information, please contact Vicci Moyles, 0207 842 4236, vicci.moyles@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk