The Feel Good Factory: Bryncynon Healthy Living Centre in Cynon Valley is launching its campaign for your vote this week as it goes head to head with other Lottery-funded projects from across the UK in the semi-finals of The National Lottery Awards 2009.

The Feel Good Factory: Bryncynon Healthy Living Centre is one of only 10 projects to make it through to the semi-finals in the Best Health Project category in association with FemaleFirst.co.uk. The National Lottery Awards are an annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects. The winning project in each category will receive national recognition on a special BBC 1 TV show later this year, and a £2,000 cash prize[1] to spend on their project.

The Healthy Living Centre at Bryncynon has created a vibrant community hub, which is boosting physical and mental health levels in the local area. Lottery funding paid for extensive renovation work, including creating an extra floor level and an extension, which houses a popular community café. A second grant was used to re-landscape the old church grounds into a garden for everyone to enjoy.

Michelle Lenton-Johnson of Bryncynon Community Revival Strategy said: "Lottery funding has really helped to give our project the "wow" factor, and to get this far in the National Lottery Awards is a great achievement. We're really giving it all we can to promote ourselves, to get as many votes as possible!"

This year’s National Lottery Awards are supported by television and radio presenter, Jackie Brambles. She says: “Lottery players raise £25 million every week for Good Causes and this year marks 15 years since the Lottery began. The National Lottery Awards recognise the amazing talent and hard work of the people involved in running Lottery-funded projects. Please get behind your local projects and vote so that they get the credit and thanks they deserve.”

About The National Lottery Awards

Now in their sixth successful year, The National Lottery Awards recognise the difference that Lottery-funded projects – both big and small – make to local communities, and celebrate the achievements of the people behind them.

Voting for the semi-finals starts at 9am on Monday 22 June and ends at midday on Friday 10 July. To register your vote for The Feel Good Factory: Bryncynon Healthy Living Centre call 0844 686 6507 or log on to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards

The three projects in each category with the most number of votes will go through to the finals of the Awards and another round of public voting later in August.