Camelot and Co-op prove a winning team raising over £500,000

National Lottery operator Camelot has presented the Co-operative Group with a trophy in recognition of the staggering half a billion pounds that has been generated for good causes through National Lottery ticket sales at Co-operative Group food stores.

Camelot Chief Executive, Dianne Thompson, visited the Group's Manchester head office to present the award to Guy McCracken, Chief Executive of Food Retail.

The Co-operative Group is one of the biggest lottery sellers in the UK, with tickets sold in 1152 stores. Since The National Lottery launched in 1994, sales from Group stores have contributed half a billion pounds to the fund for good causes, which has benefited all kinds of people and organisations across the UK.

This year, The National Lottery celebrated 12 years of raising money for good causes. Over 250,000 grants have been awarded in support of a diverse range of projects up and down the UK; from localised activities, such as a school in St Albans that has received £9,525 to set up an after-school growing and gardening club, to national investments, such as the £392 million spent on athletics projects.

Accepting the trophy, Guy McCracken said: "We are delighted to have reached the landmark figure of half a billion pounds raised through lottery sales in our stores. Our customers have helped to change people's lives by generating such a huge sum of money for good causes."

Camelot's Director of Sales, Steve Lucas, who was also at the presentation, said: "The Co-operative Group has been a fantastic supporter of The National Lottery since 1994, and we are delighted to present them with this award.

"Camelot and the Co-op have developed a genuine partnership over the years, and we have worked together on all sorts of initiatives to help maximise lottery sales – and returns to good causes – in a socially responsible way. This sales and good causes milestone is a testament to the success of that partnership – and of course the hard work of all Co-op staff."