Public view on Lotto money sought

Parks, buildings and village halls have benefited from lottery grants

The public is being encouraged to suggest heritage projects which would benefit from lottery money.

The Heritage Lottery Fund's public consultation comes after the success of television series Restoration, where viewers chose a project to support.

From 2009 it expects to have less to spend each year, partly because the London Olympics need lottery funding.

The organisation says it can play a vital role in the success of the Games, as part of its cultural festivities.

"We'll lose some money but the Olympics is going to give us a tremendous opportunity to really look at the heritage of this country and to make sure that the visitors who come for sport go away thinking 'wow that was fantastic'," said the fund's director, Carol Souter.

Big investment

Since 1994, the organisation has spent over £3bn on approximately 18,000 projects whose remits have varied widely.

The Heritage Lottery Fund says its funding for projects over the last 11 years marks the biggest investment in the UK's history since the 19th Century.

Projects that have received funding have ranged from historic buildings and village halls, to museums, galleries and public parks.

Some MPs said this week that more money should be spent on village halls.

Members of the public can make suggestions by visiting the organisation's website on www.hlf.org.uk/future.