Local charities up for Lotto loot vote

Northern Ireland charity Musical Theatre for Youth is through to the final of the UK National Lottery Awards for 2008. They are now up against two other organisations for the title of Best Arts Project. You can vote now online.

The National Lottery Awards are an annual search to find the UK's favourite Lottery-funded projects. The charity Musical Theatre for Youth was established to assist young people to develop their skills locally, rather than to England or further afield, following the years of civil unrest.

The project Musicals in a Weekend gave 140 young people the opportunity to stage three musicals in different towns, bringing Sweet Charity to Armagh, Bugsy Malone to Belfast and Guys and Dolls to Derry.

Also from Northern Ireland in the finals are:

The Diamond War Memorial Project is bidding for Best Heritage Project; Ballymena Community Sports for Best Sports Project; and Da Young Fathers for Best Charity Project.

The winner will receive £2,000 and is decided by public vote which can be done online at:

www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards

Online voting for the final phase will be open from 9am on Monday 21 July 2008 and close at midday on Friday 8 August 2008. There is no cost to users for online voting. Votes can also be registered by telephone. More details on the lottery good causes website.

See related article www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/210708_MT4Uth