Kelly Brook leads the hunt for Wigan borough community heroes

An incredible £906,487 of National Lottery funding went to projects in Leigh last year, according to new figures.

A total of 47 National Lottery grants were allocated in this period, providing crucial support to arts, sports, heritage and community organisations in the area.

The National Lottery Awards are an annual celebration of the inspirational individuals and groups who do extraordinary things in their community with the help of its funding.

More than 1,500 inspirational people and projects were nominated for last year’s National Lottery Awards, and now the search is on once again for 2022’s nominees.

The organisation is looking to highlight the exceptional work of local heroes who have gone the extra mile and made a difference in their community.

Anyone who has received National Lottery funding is eligible for nomination.

Kelly said: “It’s a real honour to be supporting this year’s National Lottery Awards, which highlight inspirational champions all over the UK.

“There are so many people up and down the country working tirelessly to make a difference in their communities, so it’s really important that we take a step back and recognise that.

“I hope lots of people put forward their nominations, because there are so many who deserve one of these awards.

“It’s thanks to National Lottery players that so much funding goes towards helping these local heroes carry out their vital work.”

Jonathan Tuchner, from the National Lottery, added: “The National Lottery has continued to make an incredible contribution to life in the UK ever since it was first established in 1994.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, an incredible £30 million of funding is raised for good causes every single week.

“The National Lottery Awards seek to honour those who have stepped up and work tirelessly on behalf of others. We want to thank them and celebrate their incredible efforts.”

The National Lottery Awards will seek to celebrate outstanding individuals in the following categories: Community/Charity, Art, Culture and Film, Sport, Heritage, Environment and Young Hero (under 25s)

A new addition for 2022, the Environment category will look to celebrate an individual who has gone above and beyond to keep their community on the green path.Winners of these categories will be chosen by a judging panel made up of members of the National Lottery family and partners and will receive a £5000 cash prize in addition to an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy.

In addition, any projects that have benefitted from National Lottery funding are also eligible to enter the Project of the Year category.

The nominees will be whittled down to 16 finalists, with a UK-wide public vote in September deciding the winner.

To make your nomination for this year’s National Lottery Awards, tweet @LottoGoodCauses with your suggestions or complete an entry form through our website: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards.

Entries must be received by midnight on June 1.