National Lottery Players Save Oldest Mine in Cornwall

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The oldest mine in Cornwall has been restored thanks to a National Lottery grant of £1.1 million. King Edward Mine, near Camborne, was used as a teaching site for almost a century, but the passage of time took its toll and just a few years ago its buildings faced the risk of being lost to the history books. Fortunately, the Heritage Lottery Fund stepped in with funds raised by lottery players in the UK, and the mine has now been reopened for exhibition purposes.

The £1.1 million grant helped to fund conservation work on more than a dozen Grade II* listed buildings, and the historic site now boasts a community café in what used to be the Assay Office, as well as exhibition space in the boiler house. An open day was held on Sunday 30 April to celebrate the reopening of the site, with the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall officiating proceedings.

Although the King Edward Mine site is in much better shape than it was a few years ago, there is still much to do, and several other historic buildings will be refurbished to ensure their survival. The good news is that the work already done has helped to rally the community in a significant way, and the support of that newly invigorated community will certainly come in handy as the restoration work continues.

This is just one of many Heritage projects that lottery players have helped to support through their participation in Lotto, EuroMillions and other popular games. Elsewhere, a grant of £4.8 million has recently been awarded to fund important work on Hillsborough Castle and its gardens, £4.6 million has been allocated to help save 20 UK species that face the threat of extinction and £6 million has been invested in the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

More than £36 billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery began in 1994, and every lottery ticket sold adds even more to that total. The EuroMillions and Lotto games this Friday and Saturday will give players the chance to win jackpots of £62 million and £14.8 million, respectively, so if you fancy doing your bit for good causes, buy yourself a ticket or two and you just might win big yourself! Enjoy the games and good luck!