Sponsored by the National Lottery

DID you know that every week National Lottery players raise an incredible £25m for good causes?

This money is making a massive difference to people and their communities, helping thousands of projects and organisations across the UK.

But people aren’t always aware of the lottery-funded projects in their area or the dedication and thousands of volunteer hours that go into making them a success.

The National Lottery Awards are now entering their fourth successful year. They are a way to celebrate all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at lottery-funded projects – big and small – and to say thank you to the people who work so tirelessly to ensure their communities can and benefit from them.

Seventy projects have made it through to the semi-finals of the awards scheme, representing the best lottery-funded projects in the heritage, arts, health, education, environment, sports and voluntary and charity fields.

It is now up to the public to decide which projects go through by voting.

West Yorkshire is represented by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in West Bretton, near Wakefield. It is one of the projects nominated in the Best Environment Project category.

People from all over Yorkshire are being urged to show their support by voting for it.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park Šis an international open-air centre for modern and contemporary sculpture that sets out to challenge, inspire, inform and delight. The park's 500 acres of historic gardens and parkland were designed in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Today, this stunning setting brings together art and nature for visitors to discover and enjoy.

In 1999 lottery money Šenabled the park to buy 237 acres of the southern section of the designed landscape, along with a series of outbuildings in need of renovation.

The subsequent development enabled the former barns and stables to be converted into gallery space, studios and workshops.

The new Longside Gallery is a magnificent 615 square metre space that hosts a series of challenging and exciting exhibitions by international artists.

Public voting runs until midday on Friday next week and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park could be relying on your vote to get through to the next stage.

The three projects in each category with the highest number of votes will go through to the final.

The winning projects will feature on a prime time show on BBC1 and will also win £2,000.

To find out more about the National Lottery Awards or to register your vote for the Yorkshire Sculpture Park log on to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or call 0845 386 8091. Calls are charged at a BT local landline cost of 1.5p.