On Tuesday 19 November 2024, The National Lottery celebrated its 30th birthday by announcing that £50 billion has been raised for Good Causes.
This historic double milestone represents one of the largest ongoing funding programmes for Good Causes in the UK’s history.
Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £30 million is raised every week for Good Causes, funding over 700,000 projects across community, heritage, sport and the arts in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Since funding began in 1994, UK athletes have won more than 1,000 Olympic and Paralympic medals.
Andria Vidler, CEO of Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery said: “Over 30 years, this hasn’t just been about numbers – it's been about countless lives changed and communities transformed, while continuing to create millionaires nationwide. As we look forward, our plans to transform The National Lottery are underway and we're committed to raising even more for these vital Good Causes.”
Thanks to National Lottery players, we can strengthen local communities, power sports teams, support environmental projects, unleash creative talent, empower the elderly and unlock young people's potential.
Happy 30th Birthday National Lottery
In celebration of the 30th birthday, legendary broadcaster and conservationist, Sir Tony Robinson helped bring to life some iconic moments of the last three decades, that wouldn't have been possible without The National Lottery.
30 Game Changing moments
To mark the occasion 30 Game Changing Moments have been immortalised in an exhibition by photographer Thomas Duke – unveiled at The National Portrait Gallery in London and available to view online only. The photographer has used his unique style to highlight some of the most memorable cultural moments of the last three decades made possible with the help of National Lottery funding.
Included in the collection is Scotland's Neil Fachie winning gold in the 1000m Time Trial B2 Tandem with his pilot Craig MacLean at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
The National Lottery played a vital role in the success of the 2014 competition by providing significant funding for venue development, athlete preparation, and community engagement initiatives.
#ThanksToYou Crossed Finger Selfie
Together, thousands of people posted crossed finger selfies across social media to say a massive collective #ThanksToYou to National Lottery players for their contribution to good causes across the UK.
