Be part of London 2012

2012 will see the UK hosting the world's greatest sporting event as the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games come to London, and our partnership with London 2012 places National Lottery players at the heart of it. The National Lottery will be contributing almost £2.2 billion towards London 2012, of which £750 million will come from specially designated lottery games. All the Good Causes money raised from sales of these designated games, which are detailed in the section 'Play your part', will go towards London 2012.

In particular, The National Lottery players are helping to fund five major new sports facilities that include the Olympic Stadium, a new VeloPark, Aquatics Centre, Handball Arena and Hockey Centre.

For more details please visit the Olympic Lottery Distributor.

Be part of London 2012

Aerial view of the Olympic Stadium

Aerial view of the Olympic Stadium Aerial image of the Aquatics Centre - June 2011 Aerial image of the Olympic Park - June 2011 Aerial image of the Olympic Stadium - June 2011 Aerial image of the Velodrome - June 2011 Aquatics Centre during the Games VeloPark during the Games Olympic Stadium - view from inside Olympic Village Inside of the Aquatics Centre after the Games Aquatics Centre after Games

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When the flame is lit to open the Olympic Games in July next year, the players of The National Lottery can be proud of their contribution as the greatest sports show on earth comes to town. Up to £2.2b will have been raised by the National Lottery's players in support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. While this funding helps to contribute to the regeneration and construction of the Olympic Park, The National Lottery is also playing a key role in supporting a grass roots sports participation legacy to ensure the effect will be felt long after The Games have ended.

Now, it is no longer about 'years'. Suddenly, the days, hours and even the minutes are ticking away rapidly towards the start of London 2012 and a glance across the landscape of the Olympic Park in Stratford shows the incredible structures that have now appeared.

The 80,000-seater Olympic Stadium is complete, the stunning wave-shaped Aquatics Centre is an established part of the London sky line and the cycling velodrome is ready for action.

Through to 27th July 2012 - the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games - a series of test events will take place at all the venues to be used in The Games as the construction project comes to a close and these new landmarks ready themselves to host world class sport.

Some events have already happened - such as the streets of London being closed on the morning of May 30 this year for a trial run of the marathon. Horse Guards Parade will host a Beach Volleyball International in the summer of 2011 while the stunning all-white Basketball Arena in the Olympic Park stages the London International Basketball Invitational.

LOCOG estimate that by the time of the completion of the test events, over 10,000 volunteers, 8,000 athletes and 250,000 spectators would have been involved. Prime Minister David Cameron summed it up perfectly when he said: "We are on track to stage a fantastic Olympic and Paralympic Games in London next summer."

So much more lies ahead though. On the 18th May next year, the Olympic Flame is set to arrive in Britain and begin its journey around the country ahead of the opening ceremony. There will be 8,000 torchbearers, with half being aged 12 to 24. Ninety Five per cent of the United Kingdom's population will be within an hour's journey of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay as it winds its way to London for the start of 'the greatest show on earth'.