Film society founder in running for top award from the National Lottery

Elizabeth Costello has been shortlisted in the Arts, Culture and Film category in the outstanding individuals’ section of the 2023 National Lottery Awards.

Ten years ago, her passion to provide opportunities for young people to work in the film industry, fight against social isolation and support community cohesion led to the creation of Leigh Film Society, a not-for-profit organisation providing quality film screenings.

It has since built its own cinema Leigh Film Factory within Spinners Mill, constructed by volunteers using recycled materials.

More than £29,000 of National Lottery funding has been provided to Leigh Film Society over the decade, through the British Film Institute and the National Lottery Community Fund, with a grant in 2022 towards the installation of tiered seating in Leigh Film Factory.

Elizabeth said: “When we started out 10 years ago, the truth is we really had no idea what we were doing. We thought we’d give it a go and see where we ended up, and things have just continued to develop and grow.

"We carry on doing what we do because we understand the value of what we stand for, which is bringing people together, fighting social isolation and giving people a much-needed form of escapism.”

The National Lottery Awards are a celebration of the individuals and organisations doing extraordinary things with the help of National Lottery funding.

This year, 3,780 people and projects were nominated.

Over the summer, a panel made up of representatives from the National Lottery and partners will decide the winners in each of the individual categories.

The winners will be revealed in the autumn and will receive £5,000 for their organisation and a trophy.

Jonathan Tuchner, from the National Lottery, said: “The National Lottery Awards honour those who have stepped up and have gone the extra mile to make a difference in their communities, especially during these challenging times.

"Thanks to National Lottery players and the £30 million raised each week for good causes, thousands of individuals and projects throughout the UK have been making an incredible difference in their areas, and this is our chance to highlight and celebrate the exceptional work of these selfless local heroes.”