Award nominations are invited for Thanet family, community and sports causes which benefited from more than £2.2 million of National Lottery funding in 2013.

Newly released figures show that 35 grants were awarded. They provided vital cash injections to district arts, sports, heritage and community groups and helped some of the Isle’s most vulnerable people.

Among those to benefit was the Gap Project which received £9,420 to help deliver adult literacy classes and provide work placements for people with special educational needs

Home-Start Thanet received £492,506 of lottery cash to provide early intervention to families, actively promoting emotional and physical wellbeing

Margate Lawn Tennis Club received £45,811 for floodlighting, fencing and building renovation.

All the projects are now invited to enter the National Lottery Awards 2014. If successful, they can gain national recognition and a £2,000 prize.

John Barrowman, presenter of last year’s National Lottery Awards show, said: “National Lottery players raise £33 million every week for a wide range of projects which make a life changing difference to local communities. The awards are a great way of celebrating their work and the unsung heroes helping people with National Lottery funding.

“Everyone in Thanet who plays the National Lottery should be proud of the difference their money is making in the local community. If you know of a lottery-funded organisation that deserves to be nominated, we want to hear from you.”

There are seven categories, each reflecting an area of Lottery funding: sport, heritage, arts, environment, health, education and voluntary/charity.

Nominations from Thanet for local projects that benefited from lottery funding are now invited. For more details, visit www.nationallotteryawards.org.uk or call 0207 293 3599. Projects can enter by visiting the website before the midnight deadlilne on March 12.