Dame Laura Kenny has thanked National Lottery players for transforming British sport, saying the investment has supported every stage of her career and continues to help athletes reach the Commonwealth Games. The most decorated female Olympian in British history highlighted the crucial role of National Lottery funding in sustaining grassroots clubs, elite programmes, and athlete development pathways.
“The National Lottery has obviously funded pretty much my whole career,” she said. “I was part of a National Governing Body that is funded by the National Lottery. But that's just one small part of it; it funds so many amazing projects. I mean, it raises over £32 million and that is just huge because that means the younger generation can benefit just like I have.”
National Lottery's Impact on Glasgow
In the last three decades, National Lottery players have invested more than £1 billion into Glasgow, supporting thousands of arts, heritage, and community projects. The first National Lottery grant in Glasgow went to a touring theatre company in Govan on 11 January 1995. Since 1994, the funding has reached people across Glasgow through more than 14,000 grants.
As Glasgow prepares to host the Commonwealth Games, the impact of that long-term support is evident. National Lottery players have helped fund three of the four Games venues, supported many of the city’s museums and galleries that visitors will experience, and made possible a new small-grants programme helping communities celebrate the Games in their own way.
Family Affair at Glasgow 2026
For Dame Laura, this summer’s Games will be a family affair. Having spent her career on the track alongside her husband Sir Jason Kenny, the two will now hold different roles in Glasgow. Dame Laura is Team England President, while Sir Jason is part of the coaching staff within the Team England Cycling set-up.
This provides a great opportunity for their two eldest children, Albie and Monty, to finally watch their parents at work. “The thing for me is that the kids will see Jason in his actual role,” she said. “There are so many times that, you know, I say, 'Daddy's at work,' because obviously, the job Jason's in, it does take him away loads, but I don't think they truly understand it. And it's not like you can show old videos of us racing because that's not the role that we're in now. So, for me, I'm quite excited for them to actually see him pushing the lads up onto the track and really understand what it is that we do.”
Changing of the Guard on the Track
On the track, Dame Laura believes Glasgow 2026 will usher in a changing of the guard. Britain's most decorated female Olympian retired in 2024, and with the likes of Scotland's Katie Archibald having stepped away from the sport as well, Kenny is excited to see fresh faces step up.
“You've had lots of people step away and then you've got a really strong group of youngsters coming through, especially in women's endurance,” she said. “This is actually going to be the first time that we don't see Katie Archibald compete and obviously, she has been a huge part of the Scottish women's endurance squad for years now. It is almost out with the old, in with the new and I feel like this could be the first time that we sort of get a glimpse of what the Olympic team might look like, albeit split into three different nations.”
Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33 million is raised every week for good causes. It’s because of you sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK.
