#Lifechanging

You’ve been helping transform derelict industrial wastelands into delightful wildlife and nature reserves.

Fancy a picnic at a derelict sewage works? Or a family day out to a bombed steel works? No, neither do we, but when you look at these before and after pictures, you might think again! Here’s five of our favourite ‘industrial make-overs’:

Barrhead Water Works, Glasgow

Where there’s muck there’s brass – but this old sewage works from the 1800's is now blooming gorgeous thanks to £100,000 of lottery funding.

Kirkless, Wigan

Once Europe’s largest iron and steel works and a target for German bombers in 1918, you can now set your sights on this beauty spot for wonderful walks and pretty ponds.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London

Before London 2012 this was a contaminated industrial landscape. Now you can tread in the footsteps of gold medal winning athletes among miles of waterways, nature trails and wildlife habitats.

Millennium Coastal Park, Llanelli

20 years ago, you’d have run a mile from this industrial wilderness, but now, thanks to £13.5 million of lottery funding, there’s 20km of Riviera-style paradise to enjoy at a leisurely jog. Or walk. Or gentle stroll…

Saltholme, Teesside

Go play near the heavy industry’ is not something most parents would advocate. However Saltholme has been transformed into a beauty spot packed with birds to view, long walks, pond dipping, playgrounds – there’s even a café in which to rest your weary legs.

Thanks to you, National Lottery funding supports projects that help to improve and protect the UK’s natural environment – restoring and transforming landscapes, saving our native wildlife, cleaning our beautiful waterways and creating community-friendly areas for generations now and in the future.

Credits: Barrhead Water Works, Glasgow: Images courtesy of Grow Wild UK, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Kirkless, Wigan: Images courtesy of Lancashire Wildlife Trust. Millennium Coastal Park, Llanelli:Copyright Llanelli Life. Image by Wiccasha via Wikimedia Commons.

The National Lottery has been changing the lives of winners and supporting good causes across the UK since 1994. In that time, there have been more than 7,000 new millionaires created and by playing The National Lottery you raise over £4 million for Good Causes every dayΔ.

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