The National Lottery celebrates £1.6 billion funding milestone with giant sand sculpture in Co Derry

The National Lottery has celebrated the landmark achievement of £1.6 billion being distributed to over 35,000 Good Causes in Northern Ireland with a giant, hope-inspired Fingers Crossed sand sculpture on Portstewart beach.

From grassroots sports, heritage projects, and arts initiatives to vital health and wellbeing services, The National Lottery funding has made a significant difference to the lives of people across Northern Ireland since funding began in 1994.

To mark this incredible £1.6 billion milestone, The National Lottery joined together with the Mae Murray Foundation, one of the 35,000 projects that have received National Lottery funding to celebrate the positive impact the funding has had to their members. The Mae Murray Foundation are a charity based in Larne dedicated to creating inclusive environments for people with all abilities, including beach access.

One of the beaches that has been made inclusive is Portstewart Strand, which has been named the best beach in the UK in 2025 by the Sunday Times.

The National Lottery and the Mae Murray Foundation joined with MLA Maurice Bradley on Portstewart Strand to reveal a striking 7ft sand sculpture representing the iconic National Lottery ‘Fingers Crossed’ symbol. Part of a series of National Lottery Fingers Crossed installations across the UK, the sand sculpture symbolises the hope and optimism the funding to Good Causes provides in Northern Ireland.

Kyleigh Lough, CEO, Mae Murray Foundation said: “This funding has been truly life changing. Many of our members have never been able to access the beach or experience the joy of the seaside until now. Thanks to The National Lottery, we’re creating more inclusive opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.”

Maurice Bradley, MLA for East Derry, praised the impact of The National Lottery funding in the local community saying: “The National Lottery funding has been transformational for countless groups and organisations across Northern Ireland. In my own constituency, I’ve seen first-hand how these grants empower local people to change lives every day. Raising £1.6 billion for good causes is a remarkable achievement and a clear sign of the positive legacy that The National Lottery continues to provide. It’s our duty to protect this institution that has driven such powerful change, to ensure the next generations in Northern Ireland can also benefit from life changing funding.”

One of the first National Lottery grants was awarded in Northern Ireland back in April 1995, to the Belfast City Council, they were awarded £195,000 for the construction of a pavilion at the Mary Peters Athletics Track. Athletes like Hannah Scott, who last summer in Paris became the first woman from Northern Ireland to win an Olympic Gold Medal since Lady Mary in 1972, have also benefitted from National Lottery funding.

Grants big and small have been awarded across Northern Ireland in every single community. Some of the largest grants ever awarded in Northern Ireland include the Odyssey Trust, awarded £45 million for entertainment and educational facilities and the construction of the SSE Arena, and the Ulster Folk Museum, awarded £10 million to help preserve history for future generations. Whilst one of the most westerly grants awarded in the whole of the UK, was for £178,000 to Dolan's Social Farm in Fermanagh, which provides educational farming visits.

Other notable National Lottery funded projects include the Millennium Forum in Derry, which has benefitted from more than £8.4 million; Rural Community Network NI, which provides community-based support and received more than £6.1 million in funding; and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, they were awarded more than £4.5 million of funding since 2000. 

Gillian Taylor, Northern Ireland based Director of Communications at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery said: “We’re thrilled to celebrate this major milestone which reflects over three decades of support for Northern Ireland. None of this would be possible without National Lottery players – it’s because of them that more than 35,000 good causes across Northern Ireland have benefitted. Today’s celebration and the Fingers Crossed sand sculpture, symbolise everything The National Lottery stands for – hope, positivity and making a real difference to people’s lives. We’re proud to support organisations like the Mae Murray Foundation, that show the difference this support makes to lives every day.”

The Fingers Crossed installations are appearing across the UK in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales over the summer as a poignant symbol from The National Lottery as a celebration of hope and positivity.