National Lottery Stars 2016

APPLAUSE

# I can't stop the feeling So just dance, dance, dance

# I can't stop the feeling

# So just dance, dance, dance

# I can't stop the feeling So just dance, dance, dance

# I can't stop the feeling... #

Tonight, we're cooking up a storm.

It's The National Lottery Stars 2016.

Please welcome your host, John Barrowman.

CHEERING # I can't stop the feeling

# Just dance, dance, dance... #

Hello, everybody, and welcome to a very special evening.

Thank you for joining us tonight for another year

of celebrating the wonderful causes funded by The National Lottery.

For over 20 years, The National Lottery has generated a whopping

?35 billion and helped more than 490,000 projects throughout the UK.

Tonight, in association with The Telegraph,

and with a little help from a whole host of celebrity friends,

we'll be honouring your favourite projects.

Now for months, you've been voting in your thousands.

The votes have been counted and verified on behalf

of The National Lottery.

We have seven fantastic categories with seven worthy winners.

All have done inspirational work in their communities throughout

the UK, and at the end of the night we'll also be handing out

one extra-special award, and trust me, you do not want to miss that.

On top of it all, we'll be welcoming some of Team GB right here

on this very stage, fresh from their incredible success

at this year's Olympic Games.

CHEERING

But first,

I think we should get this party started with some music, right?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

Once a part of chart-topping boyband The Wanted,

he's now enjoying success both here

and across the pond in the US as a solo artist.

With Twist, please give it up for Nathan Sykes!

CHEERING

# A rusty halo with little horns

# Flies above you

# And I can't help but wonder what's beneath

# This feeling that keeps rising over me

# Could it be the bit of heaven behind your smile?

# It's so contagious

# It's spreading through my body, my disease

# It's beautiful It kills me perfectly

# Oh, you're the one You're the one, so incredible

# Number one, number one Unforgettable

# Oh, the way your body looks tonight

# You got my head in a twist

# Oh, baby Never knew you could move like this

# Got my heart in a twist

# Oh, baby

# You could break but you're worth the risk

# Put it on my lips I'm ready

# Seal it with a kiss Strawberry

# Got my heart in a twist

# Oh, babe

# You could break but you're worth the risk

# Seal it with a kiss

# Run aground

# A fallen angel is on the ground

# Trap me in a spell

# It's a magic I can't ignore

# Now it's baby

# Oh, you're the one

# You're the one so incredible

# Number one, number one Unforgettable

# What a way your body looks tonight

# Oh, you got my head in a twist

# Oh, baby

# Never knew you could move like this

# Got my heart in a twist

# Oh, baby

# You could break but you're worth the risk

# Put it on my lips I'm ready

# Seal it with a kiss Strawberry

# Got my heart in a twist

# Oh, baby

# You could break but you're worth the risk

# Seal it with a kiss

# Hey, you got me in a twist, darling

# Oh, you've got me going crazy

# Crazy, yeah, yeah

# Babe, you've got me in a twist

# Oh, baby

# Never knew you could move like this

# Got my heart in a twist

# Oh, baby

# You could break but you're worth the risk

# Put it on my lips I'm ready

# Seal it with a kiss Strawberry

# Got my heart in a twist

# Oh, babe

# You could break but you're worth the risk

# Seal it with a kiss

# You've got me in a twist, darling

# Oh, you've got me going crazy

# Crazy, yeah

# Seal it with a kiss. #

CHEERING

Thank you very much.

Now we are all well and truly warmed up, let's get to our first

award of the night which is for the winners of the heritage category.

Here to present it is an author and chef

who has certainly got the recipe for success.

It includes a handful of red tomatoes, some green peppers,

plus a pinch of Suzy Salt and Percy Pepper.

Ready steady and clap, everybody, for Ainsley Harriott!

CHEERING

Hi, John.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

As a chef, I'm always interested to know where my ingredients

come from, so it was a real treat for me to be able to visit

the Lion Salt Works in Cheshire. In its heyday back in 1894

it was a real monument to the salt-making industry.

So I hopped on my Victorian DeLorean

and took a trip back in time to see what it was all about.

All aboard to 1894.

HORN TOOTS

OK, so it's not real time travel,

but this place is the next best thing.

This Victorian salt works first opened in 1884

and it's hard to believe that production of the biggest salt works

in the UK stopped here 30 years ago,

leaving this amazing place in disrepair.

The Lion Salt Works Project

has been about bringing this whole site back to life.

It's so much a part of the local community, and more than that,

it's so much part of Cheshire and the history of Cheshire.

It's taken four years, hundreds of man hours and ?10 million to restore

this grade II listed building into the most incredible museum,

and in doing so preserving a key part of our industrial history.

Last time I was here it was absolutely derelict.

It was just a tin shed, virtually. It's absolutely brilliant now.

Brilliant.

It's great that it's been preserved

through the restoration programme, and the extra funding

that has been given will help

the salt works be a major attraction for people to come and visit,

both old and young.

We consider this not just to be

a museum for visitors from all over the country and all over the world.

This is actually a community hub for us

because there is so much that goes on here.

It really is a wonderful facility.

The Salt Works offer interactive learning programmes,

spectacular sound and light shows, a butterfly garden,

and access to the canal all in one beautifully restored area.

Winning this heritage award is just incredible for us.

I think it's extra special because it was part of

a public vote and we can reach out and tell people, "Actually,

"what we have here is really special. Please come and see it."

It's lovely on a day like today to see the site being used by

so many different people, to see the children enjoying it.

It's not just a museum,

it's something that's part of the community.

Do you know, this exhibition centre is truly a worthy winner

of the heritage award and I hope that it is here

for many, many years to come so people can enjoy the experience.

CHEERING

On behalf of the Lion Salt Works,

please welcome Katherine West and Nick Hunt.

Oh!

At the start of this project, our restoration team said that

this was the worst building they had ever seen anywhere in the world.

Now Lion Salt Works is the most fantastic museum.

Thank you to Lion Salt Works Trust for their vision,

to Heritage Lottery fund and the Cheshire West and Cheshire Council for support, which was incredible.

Thank you to everybody who's worked on our project and I say to you,

please come and experience this amazing piece of history

that you've helped us restore and bring back to life.

Thank you.

CHEERING

It's time to get those creative juices flowing

with the arts category.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a very quiet, reserved soul.

LAUGHTER

So a nice peaceful library is my idea of heaven.

Yeah, right.

But the project winners in the arts category had their own ideas

of what a library should be, and it's the place I want to go.

Here to tell us more is actor Ralf Little.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Good evening. So, libraries.

They conjure up an image of hundreds of books and quiet, but when

I went to visit one in St Helens, it was a totally different story.

In fact, it was so far removed from what you'd expect in a library

you'd have to see it to believe it and I certainly did,

so let's take a look.

This is Cultural Hubs.

It's an arts project in St Helens.

It takes the traditional image of a library as a place with

hushed looks and quiet study and turns that image on its head.

Quite literally.

Cultural Hubs is an arts in libraries programme

that animates our 13 libraries in St Helens

with performance and participatory activities.

All that you really need to access great creativity is a library card.

Cultural Hubs is a real example of what you can do

if you really believe in the flexibility

of a library space. It's nonjudgmental.

We welcome everybody with open arms.

HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYS

The last thing you expect

is a lot of guys in here breakdancing, giving it tons.

Was it a weird step for you to make, to make this journey here?

We did scare a lot of old people. I bet, yeah.

They was not expecting breakdancers in the library

in the morning, but the reception from the crowds

in the libraries was really good. Great.

And it's something we really want to do more of in the future.

Right, come on, then, let's do it.

One, two, drop, down, up.

As the programme has developed,

we've appealed to a lot of people with mental health issues.

They've found either watching some of the performances

or taking part are very cathartic.

From Johnny Wellies to Johnny Vegas,

Beecham's Pills for ills that plagued us...

Lynn has severe anxiety, depression,

OCD and panic attacks, which can leave her reluctant to go anywhere.

I've always felt quite worthless,

but everything that happened

once I did muster the courage to walk through the doors

was a wonderful, liberating feeling.

But most importantly, I hope that by my standing there,

I can help other people, because that's when I feel I have worth.

It's in our history and in our blood

To help the other

As families should.

The Cultural Hubs programme really is like CPR for the soul.

What could be better than that?

And when I was a kid, a library like this would be the last place you'd

expect to find such a buzz and make so many new friends and connections.

So Cultural Hubs is a commendable winner

of the Arts Award, creating a new chapter

in the way we use UK libraries.

From Cultural Hubs, please welcome, Sue Williamson and Owen Hutchings.

CHEERING

Thank you to everybody who voted for us.

I'm absolutely thrilled to accept this award.

It wouldn't have been possible

without all the National Lottery players, so thank you to them.

And everybody involved in this project which has helped us

bring great art to the people of St Helens in our libraries.

Thank you again.

Up next is our third award, which is for Voluntary Charity,

and here to present it is a broadcaster and journalist

who's the face of the BBC Proms.

Well, she's certainly music to my ears - please welcome Katie Derham.

CHEERING

Good evening, everyone. When you think of London,

one of the first things that springs to mind is a black cab,

and the winners of tonight's Voluntary Charity Award,

the London Taxi Benevolent Association For War Disabled,

are brilliant, because of the wonderful service

that they provide for veterans.

And I was fortunate enough to go along for a ride

and see first-hand just how much joy they give.

Taxi!

The London Taxi Benevolent Association For War Disabled

is a unique charity which links veterans with taxi drivers -

taxi drivers like Aaron.

So, Aaron, who are we picking up today?

We're picking up a gentleman called Geoff Pattinson.

He's a Second World War vet,

92 years of age.

Hello there. You must be Geoff. Hello.

So, Geoff, tell me, what did you do in the war?

Well, I was a parachutist with the Parachute Regiment

and my first operation was at D-Day on the 6th of June, 1944.

The taxi charity was set up by taxi drivers

after the war in 1948 who wanted to give their mates

who'd been injured and wounded in the war

days out and outings, and we regularly now take about 130 taxis

and up to 300 veterans on our summer outing.

Last year we went over to Holland,

we went to Normandy and France on various occasions, down to Worthing

in Sussex on our annual pilgrimage.

The taxi drivers volunteer their time.

Without them, we just could not function.

So, Geoff, where are we going today?

We're off to Chelsea, a tea dance has been organised by the charity.

# He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of company B

# A root, a toot, a toodlie-a-da-toot

# He blows it eight to the bar in boogie rhythm

# He can't blow a note unless a bass and guitar are playing with him... #

That was a good trip, wasn't it? You enjoyed that. Oh, yes.

They're not just taxi drivers, they're looking after you.

They put on functions, we meet people,

We... Quite often we meet old friends we haven't seen for years.

Some of these fellows have given up quite a lot,

so for me to give up a day or two, it doesn't compare.

They're amazing. I mean,

if there weren't people like that that done what they did

all them years ago, where would we be today?

I would like the taxi drivers to know that everything that you do

is fully appreciated by us and we thank you for it very much.

Thank you. Thank you.

From the London taxi charity,

please welcome Dick Goodwin and Ian Parsons,

together with veterans Fred Glover and Geoffrey Pattinson.

CHEERING

We'd like to accept this award on behalf of all the veterans

who support us and who allow us to do our work

and all the London black taxi drivers who...

without whom our charity would cease to function.

They're absolutely wonderful people, salt of the earth,

so the London black taxi drivers and the veterans.

Thank you.

APPLAUSE

There's still lots more to celebrate tonight,

including our Special Achievement Award,

but our next award of the night is for Sport, and to present it,

one half of a terrific twosome,

and I say one half because unfortunately

his partner in crime Sam is unwell and can't be with us tonight.

From Junior Bake Off, it's Mark Rhodes.

One of life's most important skills is learning how to swim,

but if you're deaf, it can be a real struggle.

Well, thanks to the Deaf-Friendly Swimming Project, fortunately,

help is at hand. Sam and I went to join in

on one of their lessons and saw for ourselves

just what a big difference they make.

Learning to swim can be both daunting and fun at any age,

but if you are deaf or hearing-impaired,

it can come with a whole new set of challenges.

That's why I'm very excited to be in my homeland of Wolverhampton,

where kids are taking part in deaf-friendly swimming lessons.

Are you ready to get wet? Am I? Are you? Yeah. Great!

The Deaf-Friendly Swimming Project is a programme

run by the National Deaf Children's Society

to help the 45,000 deaf young people in the UK access swimming.

We provide training for hundreds of swimming teachers

all over England and Scotland, to help make their swimming activities

more accessible for deaf young people.

There's quite a lot of challenges that come with

being in this lesson, cos most of these kids

have hearing aids and they've had to take those out.

And there's a lot of background noise as well, isn't there?

Instructors like Sophie are specially trained

to take this class. Which is brilliant.

We're going to play Simon Says - ready?

Simon Says...

A deaf-friendly swimming lesson is different to

a normal swimming lesson because we have to use

a lot more signs and visual demonstrations and props.

The children make new friends and it's lovely to see them communicate.

I can't swim. I didn't want the two boys to follow my lead

and not be able to swim,

so they've gone off and they've done it.

For the children to communicate with me

and to see them grow with confidence and to be able to swim -

it's really rewarding.

Swimming really is an important life skill

that all children should get the support they need to learn.

Braidon started deaf-friendly swimming lessons last year.

He's got hearing aids, but he's lip-read

from when he was very young.

And he was very apprehensive about going

because he has never mixed with children like himself.

As well as giving me the confidence to be around other deaf people,

it's given me the confidence to be...

To know that I'm OK being deaf,

like, I'll be able to go out and do more things.

They taught him how to dive, they taught him how to life-save. Wow.

It has given him that boost that he's desperately needed

and he does fantastic now. And it's all down to the swimming lessons

that's done that. It's amazing.

CHEERING

Amazing. From the Deaf-Friendly Swimming Project,

please welcome Eleanor Connelly and Ashleigh Scott.

CHEERING

We are thrilled to have our work at the National Deaf Children's Society

recognised through the National Lottery Awards.

Lottery funding has been vital in breaking down the barriers

deaf young people face when getting involved in swimming.

We want to make a huge thank you to everybody who voted

for the Deaf-Friendly Swimming Project.

Thank you.

National Lottery funding helped support over 1,300 athletes

on their road to Rio, and Team GB's performance

made it their most successful Games for more than 100 years.

CHEERING

From Team GB 2016, please be upstanding

and give a huge welcome to bronze medallist Christine Ohuruogu!

Gold medallist cyclists Elinor Barker and Joanna Rowsell-Shand!

Taekwondo silver medallist Lutalo Muhammad!

Kayak gold medallist Joe Clarke!

From the women's Olympic hockey team, gold medallist

Hannah Macleod!

Bronze medal gymnasts Nile Wilson and Amy Tinkler!

And finally, show-jumping Olympic champion Nick Skelton!

Ladies and gentlemen, some of our Team GB Olympic medallists!

CHEERING

Christine, how are you? I'm very good, thanks. Congratulations.

Thank you. Now, did you expect that this time around

Team GB would do so well in Rio?

Um, I think it's hard for us going into the Games,

cos we're so focused on what we are doing.

But it was so great to know that we all of us individually helped

to contribute to creating

the best-ever Games - well, best in a long time.

And it's such a great time to be doing sport right now.

And what was the feeling like when you came back home?

Oh, it's been fantastic. What's the best thing that's happened to you?

The best thing? I just think it's people just being so proud of us.

You don't realise, when you're so far away from home,

that people are watching and supporting and really are gripped

by what you're doing...

You know, for everything that kind of goes on throughout the year,

they're there to support you when it really matters and,

you know, that...kind of proudness is just so uplifting.

You feel like you've really done something amazing.

Well, we're definitely proud of everybody and I think that

deserves a high-five down the line.

Congratulations to everyone.

Congratulations. Congrats, congrats, congrats.

Congrats. Congrats.

Now, when you got up on the podium, things started to well up.

What triggered that?

Again, besides winning, what was going through your head?

First thing I thought was relief really.

Like I said, you know going back so many years,

and it's just relief that you finally get there and do it.

And then you think of all the things that all the people who have helped you, and got you there.

You know, I just couldn't control it.

It was a pretty awesome moment for all of us to watch and congratulations.

Thank you. Congratulations. Amy...

APPLAUSE

First Olympics, yeah? Yeah.

Now, you had your GCSEs just before you went to the Olympics.

What was more difficult training for? The GCSEs or the Olympics?

Erm, I think the GCSEs were a lot more stressful.

What does it feel like to be a 16-year-old at the Olympic Games?

Yeah, I mean, it was absolutely incredible out there.

I mean, all the people that I met, the experiences that I got,

it was just amazing.

I'm still pretty speechless now. It still hasn't sunk in yet.

Well, congratulations to everybody.

And we're very proud that you're all here with us tonight.

But, of course, the Paralympic Games are well and truly underway.

And we're very lucky that joining us right now from Rio

are Issy Bailey and Zoe Newson.

APPLAUSE

So, tell us, what's the atmosphere for both of you like right now at the Games?

Oh, it's amazing, really.

You've got all the people together

so it's quite good to have all the crowd around with us.

Issy, this is your first Paralympic Games.

How does that feel being the first one? It's absolutely incredible.

I haven't been shooting very long and I've loved every competition.

But this one has just been an absolute dream come true.

Now, Zoe, you won bronze in 2012 in powerlifting

and you've just got another bronze in Rio.

What does winning two bronze medals mean to you right now?

It's a massive achievement really and bringing everyone's support with me is amazing.

We're very proud of them, aren't we, everybody?

Ladies and gentlemen, Issy Bailey and Zoe Newson.

And with a huge congratulations once again to these fantastic

sportsmen and women whose incredible performances in Rio made us

a very proud nation.

Congratulations, everybody.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Now, from Olympic heroes to heroes of the health category which

is in association with Women At Home magazine.

And to present this award is a former detective constable

turned TV presenter who can often be found on the streets of Britain

to help with unsolved cases on Crimewatch Roadshow.

Please go wild for Rav Wilding!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Now, as a bike fan, I was really excited about visiting

the North West Blood Bikes Lancs Lakes.

Now, they are a part of a nationwide group of fantastic volunteers

who combine their love of bikes with saving lives.

I went to Chorley to meet their chairman, Paul,

and some of the other amazing volunteers.

The Blood Bikers really are the unsung heroes of the north-west.

This gang is prepared to drop everything to deliver

live-saving blood to where it's needed most.

Paul! Rav. How are you doing? Good to see you. Very well, thanks, Rav.

Tell me about Blood Bikes.

We transplant blood, donor breast milk for premature babies,

medication, between hospitals, through the night,

or weekends or bank holidays. And we do it for free.

Tell us, what are the advantages of using the bikes, then?

During the day in hospital they have their own transport,

but at night, they were using couriers or taxis.

So you set this up in 2012. How much have you expanded since then?

Well, our first year, we'd been called out 800 times.

Now we've just passed 25,000 times. This is in just four years?

Four years, yeah. That's massive. We have about 350 volunteers.

That's amazing. And they pay their own fuel,

they pay their own maintenance and we get to ride the bikes.

THEY LAUGH

Sounds very, very exciting. Are you going to show me?

Let's go and do it, let's go.

The Blood Bikers may be biking enthusiasts,

but this is no pleasure trip.

Although they're not paid for it, their mission is deadly serious.

I got involved with the Blood Bikes purely for the simple fact

my little sister, two and a half years ago,

was diagnosed with liver and bowel cancer.

She was pregnant at the time.

It was the Blood Bikers who brought in the blood my niece required,

so I became a Blood Biker purely to say thank you.

Hiya, Bernie. Hello, Rav. I have a parcel for you, for Preston.

I'm off! See ya. Thank you. Bye.

At the end of the shift, you look at how many calls you've taken

and you just hope that you've made a difference.

The runs are very urgent.

Two or three times daily the Blood Bikers come to us.

These guys are just doing something completely altruistic,

you know, for the good of the community and the hospital.

They work for us out of hours, weekends, nights,

bank holidays, whatever the weather, whatever the time of year,

so without a doubt, they've saved lives for us here. Hiya. Hello!

Got a delivery for ya. Thanks very much, guys. Lovely. Thank you.

Job done. Job done. We all have the same aims.

We all love biking, we all love to help other people,

so it's just fantastic.

Well, to accept the award,

from the North West Blood Bikes Lancs Lakes, please welcome

Lee Townsend and Kevin Sansom.

Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the 300 plus riders,

controllers, fundraisers who volunteer for us,

I'd like to say a huge thank you to the National Lottery

for their funding and for this brilliant award.

It's fair to say that we do most of our running around in the dark,

so on special occasions like this,

it's really nice when somebody turns the light on.

AUDIENCE: Aww!

This one's for Marcel. Thank you.

And up next is the award for the environment and to present it

is someone just as dazzling on the dance floor as she is foraging

in a field. She's left the wellies at home tonight.

Please welcome Countryfile's Anita Rani!

Aw! Evening, everybody.

Now, I love the great outdoors, which is a good thing,

because I do work on Countryfile, so when I found out about the

winning project, I couldn't wait to visit one of its locations.

Grow Wild is a UK-wide project which encourages groups and people

all over Britain to makeover local spaces and turn them into

something truly wonderful.

One of their sites is in Scotland and has undergone

a remarkable transformation.

Have a look at this and see for yourselves.

Grow Wild is the brainchild of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,

and it's all about finding a space and doing something amazing with it.

At the moment, they've got 350 sites

covering a mammoth 3.5 million square metres.

And this is one of those transformed spaces.

Believe it or not, this is an old water works here in Glasgow

but now it's an incredible area for everyone to enjoy.

Grow Wild is the UK's biggest ever wild flower campaign.

We have 270 community projects, then we have 50

youth projects and then 46,000 other groups and they've

gone on to impact 1.2 million people. That's a lot of flowers!

Grow Wild is amazing because it helps us reconnect to nature.

It's got a fantastic network of different community groups

who've got different ways of growing wild flowers in odd places.

The story of the water works is one of those things that typifies

Grow Wild in terms of repurposing and regenerating old

landscapes to give them new meaning.

What did it look like when you first got here?

It was just desolate.

There was nothing there. There was just wasteland, basically. Barren.

We came down, initially, and cleared all the area but

the best part of it was when we got the groups of schoolchildren in.

First time I saw the water works, it was a bit of a dump, to be honest.

It did smell a bit.

Because it was an old sewage area, so it was a bit nasty,

but we cleaned it all out and it doesn't smell no more.

I feel really proud to be part of making this place what it is today.

Grow Wild support local people,

youth projects and ultimately bring communities together.

So this really could be done in anywhere that you can just

find a patch. Yeah, totally.

In urban settings, it works well in community gardens,

even the side of the road.

We're not really limited to how much space people have.

It's more about what they want to do with their community

to get them involved.

Winning the environment award is like a collective thumbs up to all

the individuals, the communities,

thousands of enthusiastic volunteers across the country. That's amazing.

It's humbling. It's a very special thing.

Please welcome to the stage Philip Turvil and John McFarlane.

Thanks to National Lottery players,

over three million people have been brought together across the UK

with native wild flowers,

all at Grow Wild community projects led by Kew Gardens.

It is a collective thumbs up to all our wonderful groups,

our wonderful volunteers. Thank you so, so much.

Still to come, the final award of the night,

which is for special achievement.

But up next is the award for education.

And our next presenter is a dancer, singer,

actress and Celebrity MasterChef champion.

Please welcome former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt.

Becoming a parent at any age is not without its challenges.

It can be a tough road, especially for teenagers and young adults.

Thanks to the winners of the Education Award,

Training Opportunities for Young Parents Scheme, or TOYS,

help is at hand by way of the classes they offer to support

young women with everyday issues around parenthood.

A TOYS course is in full swing right now, let's go take a look.

TOYS is a course aimed at young mums,

helping them to feel less isolated by sharing experiences, learning

new skills and breaking free from challenging life circumstances.

So today we are going to do the session on assertiveness.

Would you shout if you were assertive? You'd be calm, yeah.

TOYS stands for Training Opportunities for Young Parents Scheme.

The TOYS programme is a 13-week programme that runs twice a week.

We cover everything from parenting, domestic violence,

drugs awareness, even dental health care and assertiveness and

communication that we did today.

Would you lie? You wouldn't, would you?

So what would you be? Honest. Honest.

It's the only project of its kind.

Set up back in 1999,

it went from strength to strength with young mums.

In particular, young mums that are hard to engage,

who are often isolated within the community.

They don't have any family support.

They just come, they are sheepish people and they're, like, no confidence,

so low, don't believe in themselves. Over the weeks, you see them grow.

It is just, it is like a glow. It is fantastic.

What was life like before TOYS? I wasn't confident.

I didn't used to wear make-up.

My hair was quite long so I used to cover my face up.

Were you quite a shy person? Very timid.

I had just come out of an abusive relationship so I was all...

I kept myself to myself.

I think a lot of the times, when the girls come to you,

they think that's it, that is their life.

They have just got to accept it.

You show them that that is not it, there's more to them.

In the last six months I've been with them,

I've been able to turn my life around.

I'm more positive about myself.

I'm doing more stuff, I've made new friends.

When I see the girls' confidence grow, it is amazing.

You feel like a proud mum, it's like a proud mum moment.

What are your future plans now that you have found your confidence?

Thanks to TOYS, I have been able to do a counselling course.

From that, I have been offered to be a mentor for young kids

between 11 and 16.

Hopefully I will be able to bring that to somebody else and

help some other poor family out.

TOYS means a lot to me because I see... The satisfaction we get from

these young girls and what they've done, what they have achieved.

It is fantastic.

When they are all there at the end of the session, at the end of

the programme, the certificates and the smiles on their faces.

Very emotional. I believe in what I do.

And I think, seeing that change, it's fantastic.

APPLAUSE

That got me! From the TOYS project,

please welcome Bev Taylor and Elaine Ashworth!

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

I want to say thank you to my fantastic team for going that

extra mile all the time.

They go out of their way to make sure... They are committed

and make sure everything that young parents come to us,

they get the support that is needed.

And I just hope that this recognition will help people like

TOYS and like all the other projects here get funding for future

projects to help develop projects like this that make

a massive difference to people's lives.

APPLAUSE

This has been a fantastic evening but it's not over quite yet.

There's still the matter of the Special Achievement Award.

Tonight, it is going to not one but two very remarkable winners.

They are Len and Yvonne Arnold.

For over 20 years, Len and Yvonne have worked tirelessly and

selflessly to support something very close to their hearts - gymnastics.

Olympic champion Max Whitlock went to meet them,

to find out more about Len and Yvonne's story.

Just watch this.

Len and Yvonne are different from other people.

They will give you a chance when others won't.

It's definitely more than a gym, it's family.

They're such kind, warm-hearted people.

I've never met anyone like them.

The gym is their life, that's what they do.

It's what they've always done.

I was the first Englishwoman to win

a Commonwealth medal for weightlifting.

Yvonne spotted my potential as a weightlifter and encouraged

me into the weightlifting gym.

What 12-year-old girl thinks about doing weightlifting?

None, as far as I'm aware. I really owe a lot to them.

Len and Yvonne are always putting others first,

to inspire a new generation of athletes.

I am here to let them know that they have won the National Lottery

Special Achievement Award.

I have got a friend that I want you to meet, actually.

What he needs is the Len and Yvonne touch. We'll do our best, as usual.

You always do.

CHEERING

There's obviously a reason why I'm here today.

Because you are now the proud winners of

the National Lottery Special Achievement Award.

I tell you what, we couldn't have had anybody better than you

to present that. Thank you very much.

I know it hasn't been easy.

Can you explain to me your journey? There were some ups and downs.

I remember 25 years ago, when we started the club, we looked

at this old industrial building which had been empty for ten years.

There was no heating, no doors and that's where we started.

What we did was sell our house, moved into the gym, built

a little flat in the gym and that

just gave us a chance to get it going.

Then the Lottery money coming in was the difference and that was

like a domino effect.

We landed up with this amazing facility.

We're just wham-jammed.

We start at 9.30 in the morning and we close at

nine o'clock at night.

You thought winning two golds was hard!

What they have given up just to be able to keep this centre open

is crazy.

But that just shows how much they care and how committed they

truly are to Europa. I love it here.

We try and do a little bit more than just being gymnastics.

You care about the kids and you want to see them have the best fun

that they can have and do the best that they can achieve.

It's more like a big family.

APPLAUSE

A great big happy family.

Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for the absolutely

incredible Len and Yvonne Arnold.

Come on up here.

# You and me, we can ride on a star

# If you stay with me, girl

# We can rule the world... #

Thank you very much. It's very kind.

Yvonne and I would like to say a big thank you to the Lottery.

It's an amazing award and we are very honoured and humbled.

We had lots of people who gave up their time.

Electricians, plumbers, people...

Somebody just wanted to come along with a paintbrush.

This new facility that we've got now that you see is really amazing.

All yours, Yvonne!

LAUGHTER

I just want to say, it's organisations like the

National Lottery that have helped fund our gym.

And develop it into the facility that it is now.

We're so proud and thank you so much.

We've had a really great night so thanks very much.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Len and Yvonne Arnold, everybody!

Thank you so much for joining us for this very special evening

and for voting for your favourite Lottery-funded projects.

I'd like to ask all of the winners to join me on stage now.

Please come on up, everybody. Let's go.

This has been a wonderful night, full of amazing people,

letting us share in their very special stories.

We've had eight fantastic winners and if any of them have

inspired you tonight to do something for your community,

then please go to our website for more details.

Who knows, it could be you standing right here on this stage next year.

Here they are, everybody, your National Lottery Stars of 2016.

Thank you, everybody, and good night!