National Lottery Open Week

This year, National Lottery Open Week will run between 5 – 13 June 2021. You may know it from previous years as the #ThanksToYou campaign. You can find out more, or register your interest in taking part here.

Every week National Lottery players raise £30 million for good causes.  Thanks to this support, during 2020/21 hundreds of millions of pounds were diverted to address the impact of COVID-19 on organisations, people and communities.  Because of this we were able to invest £50m through our Heritage Emergency Fund, continue to support more than 2,500 projects in development or delivery and have recently re-opened applications for National Lottery Grants for Heritage.

National Lottery Open Week is a direct and impactful way for heritage organisations to come together to say ‘thank you’ to the players who have supported them over the years, with a week of free entry or other special offers for anyone arriving with a National Lottery ticket, scratchcard or proof of purchase. 

As well as welcoming back visitors and saying ‘thank you’ to National Lottery players, there are some other really good reasons to take part:

• Evidence from previous years shows that taking part is a great way to welcome new and diverse audiences, including those who have never visited or engaged with your work before.

• The promotion will be supported by a major National Lottery marketing and pr campaign, including in national print, broadcast and online media, raising the public visibility of participating attractions.

• It is a great way of reminding people that you are open for business, even if they are not free to visit during National Lottery Open Week.

What your special offer might be and how you manage it is up to you but please be mindful that social distancing is likely to be a continued requirement in June and operating pre-booking to manage numbers is recommended where appropriate. Free entry is popular and straightforward; for those who are already free to visit, guided tours, workshops, taster sessions, a free gift, or access to a space or experience usually closed to the public have all worked well in the past.

We know that plans for easing lockdown might change.  We also know that not everyone will be in a position to take part and we certainly acknowledge the challenges and significant impact that COVID-19 has had for organisations, but if you can, we’d be thrilled to have you on board.

The important thing now is to register your interest, even if you still need time to work out your offer.  This gives you the best chance of being part of the marketing campaign, helps us with planning and allows us to keep you informed.

If you need some further inspiration, examples or have any questions, see the links below or contact our colleagues at the National Lottery Promotions Unit who will be happy to help – thankstoyou@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk