Rachel Riley seeks hometown hero/lockdown legends in Devon for 2020 Ntational Lottery Awards

Countdown star, Rachel Riley, is searching for your ‘hometown hero’ or ‘lockdown legend’ as part of the 2020 National Lottery Awards.

This year the annual search for the UK’s most popular National Lottery funded projects will, for the first time, honour individuals who have made an extraordinary impact in their community especially those who have adapted during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

New figures reveal more than £21,480,000 of National Lottery funding has been invested in good causes in Devon in 2018/19 alone.

A total of 525 National Lottery grants were awarded in the region during the previous financial year, providing vital support to arts, sports, heritage and community projects.

From today, The National Lottery are calling for nominations of people who have done amazing things with the help of National Lottery funding and are an inspiration to us all.

Winners in each category will receive a £3,000 cash prize for their organisation and a coveted National Lottery Awards trophy.

This week Rachel backed the NLAs and is encouraging people to nominate. Speaking to the Mirror, she said:

“Thanks to National Lottery players, some £600million has gone to support communities in the crisis.

“But this year we want to honour the people within those projects who adapted so quickly and gave extra help.

“The awards are a great way to celebrate positivity when there’s such a lot of negativity out there. It’s a real chance to say thank you. “

Encompassing all aspects of National Lottery good causes funding, the 2020 National Lottery Awards are seeking to recognise outstanding individuals in the following sectors:

Arts
Education
Health
Environment
Sport
Heritage
Community/Charity

And there will be a special Young Hero Award for someone under the age of 18 who has gone that extra mile in their organisation. All nominees must work or act for a National Lottery funded organisation or have received National Lottery funding.

To make your nomination for this year’s National Lottery Awards, tweet @LottoGoodCauses with your suggestions or complete an entry form through our website https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards. Entries must be received by midnight on 19th August 2020.