The National Lottery’s 30th Birthday and Welsh Sport

How has the National Lottery shaped sport in Wales across 30 years?

Since 1994, more than £356m of National Lottery funding has been invested into Welsh sport through Sport Wales. 

Without this funding, sport in Wales would look very different and it wouldn’t have made the same impact.

But thanks to National Lottery players, more than £30 million is raised every week for good causes, including the vital funding into sport in Wales.

So, if you have played the National Lottery in the past 30 years, you’ve helped make a difference to the children, communities, coaches, clubs and athletes of Wales. And it’s more than likely there’s a project near you that you’ve helped to support.

What has the National Lottery funded in Welsh sport?

First three National Lottery grants awarded by Sport Wales:

• January 1995 - Wrexham County Borough Council received £151,455 to make improvements at Darland Sports Centre.
• April 1995 - Llandaff Rowing Club received £153,206 for clubhouse redevelopment in April 1995
• April 1995 - Cardiff Central Youth Club received £95,192 for multi-sports and equipment during a relocation to Splott in April 1995

Smallest National Lottery grant awarded by Sport Wales:

• £17 was awarded to Rhymney Royal Bowls Club for a coaching course in April 2009

Largest National Lottery grant awarded in Wales:

• £46.3 million to help build the Millennium Stadium (now Principality Stadium) in 1997

Community and Grassroots Sport

Millions of pounds have been given to sports clubs, organisations and projects across Wales. That is thanks to players of the National Lottery. 

From helping to pay for equipment to funding courses so that volunteers can become qualified coaches, the National Lottery has improved thousands of lives and enabled sports clubs in Wales to thrive for 30 years.

If you are one of the clubs or organisations who have benefitted from National Lottery funding, join in the birthday celebrations on social media and shout about the great things you’ve been able to do thanks to lottery funding.

Elite Sport

Since lottery funding was introduced into elite sport in 1997 – following a disappointing medal haul at the 1996 Olympics - many Welsh athletes have been supported by The National Lottery, from Tanni Grey-Thompson in the late nineties and noughties to the emerging superstar of Paris 2024, Emma Finucane.

UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme allows Welsh athletes, including Emma, to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support.  

Not only does the National Lottery directly fund elite Welsh athletes, but it supports the grassroots clubs through which they emerge, and also invests into creating the world-class sporting facilities where they train and perform.   

Partners

Thanks to players of the National Lottery, Sport Wales is able to invest in innovative national governing bodies, national partners and local authorities.

This year, Sport Wales has committed more than £10million of National Lottery money to partners. These include National Governing Bodies, Local Authorities, National Partners, Sports Partnerships and others.

All of these organisations and others are helping to create an active nation where everyone can have a lifelong enjoyment of sport.