Coleraine project in art installation unveiled by Nadine Coyle

Wheels 2 Wellbeing is one of four local initiatives represented in a unique piece of art unveiled by former Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle and commissioned by The National Lottery.

The anamorphic artwork, created from 636 lottery balls, spells out the word ‘DREAMS’ when viewed from a specific angle which has been created to inspire change and to encourage the public to think about how they might use some of the £30million raised for good causes each week by National Lottery players.

It is one of four pieces of artwork that The National Lottery plans to unveil this week across the UK as part of its 27th birthday celebrations and represents the 636,000 projects funded since 1994.

Once all four pieces have been unveiled, they will form the message ‘BUILD DREAMS, CREATE CHANGE’ to bring to life the results that can be achieved through National Lottery funding.

The Coleraine project which is featured has created fully adapted buses and vehicles to provide transport for older people and vulnerable adults living in rural and urban areas across the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough and the Ballymena area – thanks to a £500,000 grant from The National Lottery across four years.

The project, which is run by North Coast Community Transport, enables users to attend hospital and medical appointments, as well as other recreational activities to improve their health and well-being.

In the past year, 250 new members have used the Wheels 2 Wellbeing service resulting in over 2,000 passenger journeys during lockdown.

Wheels 2 Wellbeing Co-ordinator Maureen Hughes, 54, said: “The grant from The National Lottery was absolutely fabulous.

“It’s mind blowing to hear people’s passion and the good that the project is doing for people living on the ground – people who had lost their partner in the lockdown and didn’t drive and were living in really isolated areas. The transport has been a godsend for these people.

“It was absolutely brilliant to be selected for the installation at Antrim Castle Gardens. They’re making a bus wheel out of lottery balls to represents the Wheels 2 Wellbeing service and we’re really excited to see it.”

The installations have been created by leading arts collective Greyworld and inspired by National Lottery funded projects. Each installation has been made from more than 636 National Lottery balls, which represent the 636,000 and more organisations that benefit from the funding across the sports, art, heritage, and community sectors.

Included in the artwork are four unique objects that represent the following four beneficiaries from Northern Ireland that have been supported by National Lottery funding, including Wheels 2 Wellbeing which is represented by a single decker bus.

Among the other artefacts donated by local projects are a Pride flag on behalf of The Troubles I’ve Seen, a large-scale project documenting the experiences of the LGBT+ community during the decriminalisation of homosexuality in NI; a rugby ball for the Newry-based Clanrye Group who adapted their EveryBody Active 2020 programme to provide sporting and exercise activities in their area and a theatre mask for ACA Belfast CIC – a live performance and workshop group with a huge worldwide online audience.

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Chair of the National Lottery Forum, said:“For 27 years National Lottery funding has been transforming communities, turning dreams into reality and making life better for millions of people. As we emerge from what has been a desperately challenging time, we want to inject hope and encourage communities to imagine what they could achieve with a helping hand from The National Lottery.

“With £30million raised for good causes each week, we have grants available from £3,000 to £5million. By coming together as communities, and as a nation, we can build, dream and create to change our future for the better and for generations to come.”

To find out more about National Lottery funding go to https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/funding