Beach-goers on Portstewart Strand were amazed recently when they came across a giant 7ft ‘fingers crossed’ sand sculpture.

It was all down to the National Lottery which celebrated the landmark achievement of £1.6 billion being distributed to over 35,000 Good Causes in Northern Ireland with the giant, hope-inspired ‘fingers crossed’ sand sculpture.

To mark the milestone, The National Lottery joined with the Mae Murray Foundation, one of the 35,000 projects that have received National Lottery funding.

The Mae Murray Foundation are a charity based in Larne dedicated to creating inclusive environments for people with all abilities, including beach access.

The National Lottery has celebrated the landmark achievement of £1.6 billion being distributed to over 35,000 Good Causes in Northern Ireland with a giant, hope-inspired Fingers Crossed sand sculpture on Portstewart beach. To mark this incredible £1.6 billion milestone, The National Lottery joined together with the Mae Murray Foundation, one of the 35,000 projects that have received National Lottery funding to celebrate the positive impact the funding has had to their members.

placeholder image — The National Lottery has celebrated the landmark achievement of £1.6 billion being distributed to over 35,000 Good Causes in Northern Ireland with a giant, hope-inspired Fingers Crossed sand sculpture on Portstewart beach. To mark this incredible £1.6 billion milestone, The National Lottery joined together with the Mae Murray Foundation, one of the 35,000 projects that have received National Lottery funding to celebrate the positive impact the funding has had to their members.

One of the beaches that has been made inclusive is Portstewart Strand – named the best beach in the UK in 2025 by the Sunday Times.

Athletes like Coleraine’s Hannah Scott, who last summer in Paris became the first woman from Northern Ireland to win an Olympic Gold Medal since Lady Mary in 1972, have also benefitted from National Lottery funding.