AN ABERGAVENNY Tennis Club was one of dozens of projects awarded funding by the National Lottery on the same day they marked awarding half a million grants across the UK.

Since the National Lottery grants began in 1994 it has awarded Monmouthshire 1,282 grants totalling £30.9 million. Abergavenny Tennis Club was given £1,224 by Sport Wales for coach education as part of the Lottery grant’s 500,000th award.

Other projects which have been awarded Lottery funding over the years in Gwent include Abergavenny Lip Reading Group, Wales National Velodrome in Newport, Big Pit National Mining Museum and the Borough Theatre in Abergavenny.

On average, National Lottery players raise £36 million for arts, sport, heritage and community projects across the UK every week by playing National Lottery games – the equivalent to £3,571 every minute, or £59 each second of every day.

Culture secretary Karen Bradley MP said: “The 500,000th Lottery grant is a significant milestone, and the latest example of how the proceeds from people buying tickets has helped transform lives and support local communities across the country.

“The Lottery has improved sporting facilities, backed voluntary organisations, supported our culture and heritage sites and helped our elite athletes shine in Rio.”

She added: “Most grants are for less than £10,000 - comparatively small sums of money that are making a big difference in communities across the country.”

Parliament has determined the percentage of money which is awarded to the sectors with arts, sport and heritage receiving 20 per cent each and 40 per cent going to the voluntary sector.

Money raised by the National Lottery players is distributed by 12 National Lottery distributors which includes Arts Council of Wales, Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport Wales. The National Lottery has so far given away more than £59 billion in prizes.