National Lottery Awards 2008
Please vote for The Lightbox!

The Lightbox is one of only 10 projects to make it through to this stage in the Best Arts Project category. It will now compete with other Lottery-funded projects from across the UK for the chance to win £2,000 and the opportunity to star in a special prime-time BBC1 TV show. A public vote will decide which projects go into the next round.

"Reaching the semi-finals of The National Lottery Awards is fantastic news,” said Marilyn Scott, Director of The Lightbox. “The nomination is in recognition of the success of the project and its value to the people of Woking and the wider South East region.”

“We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received from our visitors, our volunteers and the local community which helped us to win The Art Fund Prize earlier this year,” she continued. “Now we need your votes again to give The Lightbox, and Woking, a chance to shine on national TV.”

Public voting for the semi-finals started at 9am on Monday 16 June and ends at midday on Friday 4 July.

To register your vote for The Lightbox please call 0845 386 2181 or click on the image above and follow the instructions below. 

Please note: All calls from a landline are charged at a BT Lo-call landline rate. Calls from mobile phones may vary depending on network charges. Voting will be independently verified by Electoral Reform Services.

How to vote online: On the National Lottery Awards page click on the 'Best Arts Project' category. The Lightbox is at the bottom of this page. Click on the picture of The Lightbox and then on the button that says "Vote now" in the bottom right hand corner. A confirmation page will follow.

If button does not work, copy and paste this address into your browser:
http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards/


National Lottery Funding for The Lightbox

The Lightbox opened in Woking in September 2007, after a 14 year campaign by local people who felt that their town needed an art gallery and museum. With a population of 90,000, Woking was the only large town in Surrey which did not already have these facilities.

The National Lottery funding was amongst the first contributions to the project. According to Director, Marilyn Scott, it acted as a "crucial seal of approval, inspiring confidence in the cause and encouraging support from other organizations”.

The museum and gallery now provides a public meeting space, a cultural centre for the town and a landmark arts venue for the South East. As a community-led project it has acted as a platform for networks to be built and friendships to be made. Over 200 volunteers now contribute to the running of The Lightbox.


About The National Lottery Awards

Now entering their fifth successful year, the Awards recognise the difference that Lottery-funded projects - both large and small - make to local communities, as well as celebrate the achievements of the people behind them. 

TV and radio presenter Gethin Jones is an Ambassador for this year’s National Lottery Awards. “Each week Lottery players raise a staggering £25 million for ‘Good Causes’ and this money helps projects like The Lightbox transform the lives of people and places across the UK,” he said.

There are seven categories in the Awards, each reflecting an area of Lottery funding: Sport; Heritage; Arts; Environment, Education and the iVillage.co.uk Award for Best Health Project and Woman magazine Award for Best Charity/Voluntary Project The three projects in each category with the highest number of votes will go through to the finals of the Awards and appear on a special BBC1 Saturday night TV show later in the year.