The National Lottery Supports Communities with up to £300M Devoted to COVID-19

 Thanks to National Lottery players, up to £300M will be used to support the most vulnerable in communities across the UK during the Coronavirus crisis.

 By playing The National Lottery, £30M is raised every week on average by National Lottery players for projects big and small across the country.  Hundreds of millions of pounds will be distributed to charities and local voluntary organisations over the next few months to help support people through the Covid-19 crisis - from helping support food banks, to causes that combat loneliness and isolation, support for the elderly and projects that support health in the community.

 The initiative, enabled by The National Lottery Community Fund, will ensure that National Lottery funding is able to be deployed at scale to help projects the length and breadth of the country in what is the UK’s biggest non-governmental contribution to the efforts in local communities to combat Covid-19.

 Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “The Fund has always supported projects that help people and communities across the UK thrive. And now, the Fund is switching its focus for the foreseeable future on supporting charities seeking to mitigate the unprecedented pressure communities are coming under as the country rallies to overcome the virus.” 

Nigel Railton, CEO of Camelot, operator of The National Lottery said: “Week in week out, National Lottery players make a huge difference to the lives of people and communities across the UK.  Just by buying a ticket, players in every nation have helped raise over £40 billion for good cause projects, from supporting our athletes to repairing scout huts. 

“Now, more than ever, The National Lottery can play a critical role in supporting our communities as we all face this challenge together.  Up to £300m raised by National Lottery players will be helping to fund vital work in local communities at a time when it’s needed the most.”

 National Lottery players are encouraged to play online at national-lottery.co.uk or by downloading the National Lottery app and only buy their tickets in retail as part of their essential shop. 

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For further information, please contact

Camelot Press Office: 0207 632 5711

Notes to Editors:

• Camelot UK Lotteries Limited is the licensed operator of The National Lottery^®and is committed to raising money for National Lottery Good Causes designated by Parliament. Camelot is not responsible for distributing or awarding these funds.
• On average, Camelot generates around £30 million each week for National Lottery-funded projects. In total, over £40 billion has now been raised and more than 565,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - an average of 200 lottery grants in every UK postcode district.
• The National Lottery has so far awarded over £73 billion in prizes and created more than 5,500 millionaires or multi-millionaires since its launch in 1994.
• 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.

Simon Horne

Senior Publicity Manager, The National Lottery

Press Office: 020 7632 5711

T: 01923-425738 M: 07968 939127

W: www.national-lottery.co.uk