National Lottery operator Allwyn has become a Major Partner of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, backing the city’s volunteer programme beyond 2025. The partnership is funded through Allwyn’s Social Value Fund, an annual £1m initiative supporting projects that operate The National Lottery responsibly.
The investment will allow volunteers to continue training, development, and community support once the year-long celebrations end, helping to create lasting positive change in Bradford.
Allwyn will also support Painting the Sky on 14th November, a unique event where over 600 illuminated drones will recreate iconic artworks by Bradford-born artist David Hockney above Saltaire. The display will feature his Californian pool scenes and vibrant Yorkshire landscapes.
Since the start of Bradford 2025, more than 2,300 volunteers have acted as ambassadors, welcoming visitors and hosting events, while 1,200 corporate volunteers have contributed over 8,000 hours to 73 community organisations.
The partnership will continue to provide practical training, skills-building, and targeted support for volunteers, helping the programme extend into 2026.
Andria Vidler, CEO of Allwyn, said: “The vibrant sights, sounds and stories coming out of Bradford over the last ten months have been incredible. National Lottery players have played a key role in this success. Volunteering is at the heart of The National Lottery, and we want to help secure lasting, positive change for the people and communities of Bradford.”
Daniel Bates, Executive Director of Bradford 2025, said: “Our volunteers are the heart and soul of our UK City of Culture year. I’m thrilled to have Allwyn on board to help us develop the programme so our existing volunteers can continue their amazing work and even more people can benefit from these opportunities.”
Volunteer Wale, 26, who has since joined the team as an employee, added: “I felt so proud to be involved in something that is going to be amazing for our city. I’ve met so many brilliant people already and we’ve only just begun.”
The partnership will be formally recognised at Painting the Sky on 14th November
