Blackadder's Tony Robinson on comedy, community and his latest cunning plan

He may be better known as Baldrick - one of comedy's greatest sidekicks who made millions laugh in the 1980s as he told Blackadder about his latest ‘cunning plan’ - but fast forward to today and Sir Tony Robinson has much more serious matters on his mind.

While Blackadder showed us Tony's funny side, he's since become one of the most popular faces on our TV screens for championing UK heritage and conservation, presenting archaeology show Time Team on and off for the best part of three decades. Now, Tony has gone a step further and has teamed up with The National Lottery to celebrate 'game changers' – people within our communities who have made a difference with the help of National Lottery funding.

It's a natural choice, Tony tells The Mirror, as he feels a "synergy with the National Lottery" which raises £30m a week for good causes headed up by local people working to make their communities a better place. And Tony was recently "deeply honoured" to support the celebration of these "extraordinary people" who have been nominated as 'game changers' by members of the public.

Although he would find it hard to choose a favourite of his out of these extraordinary people, he does “feel a personal connection" with The Eden Project. He explains: "I was born a year after the war ended and I remember spending so much time just pottering around after my dad in the garden while he planted stuff. I think an awful lot of that was lost in the 60s, 70s and 80s - but I think the Eden Project sought to rekindle that and has done a fantastic job.

“I sort of lost my connection with nature too - it wasn’t until lockdown that I started putting things in pots and my wife said to me, 'how do you know how to do that?’ and I said, ‘I don’t know’. It was about two days later that I realised it was because of following my dad around the garden when I was younger. So I’ve always had a tender feeling about the Eden Project and I felt quite moved to meet Tim Smit and the other game changers who are all making a difference to the world in their way."

The other 'game changers' include Teresa Anderson MBE, director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement; Chantelle Lindsay, presenter, project officer with the London Wildlife Trust and advocate for diversity and inclusivity in wildlife; Sandy Bremner, convener for the National Parks Authority; Lisa Power MBE, LGBTQIA+ rights campaigner and Pride Cymru volunteer, and Heidi McIlvenny, the former project leader for Ulster Wildlife's Sea Deep initiative. A Heritage Tree installation at Whitby Abbey has been unveiled to recognise them symbolising the deep roots and growing impact of each.

While this autumn sees The National Lottery kick off a whole month of celebrations to mark its 30th birthday, the Mirror takes a look at 10 National Lottery funded projects that have made a huge difference to their communities over the years...

Cairngorms

The Cairngorms national park is the largest in the UK and is situated in the heart of the Scottish highlands, just 30 minutes from Inverness. Sandy Bremner is being acknowledged as a Game Changer for his work as Convener of The Cairngorms 2030 programme, which aims to improve biodiversity and tackle climate change - new initiatives include woodland, river restoration and an outdoor dementia resource centre.

J7 Health Centre

With the help of National Lottery funding, Javeno McLean has transformed his Manchester gym into a sanctuary where movement and laughter take centre stage. Javeno has worked with elderly people, people with memory issues and disabled young people. Regardless of what Javeno’s clients might be going through, he helps them forget their troubles at his gym through movement and laughter.

The Eden Project

In the late 1990s, inspired by the idea of creating a place that would explore humanity’s connection to nature and demonstrate the power of collective action, Tim and his team discovered a disused clay pit. They turned it into The Eden Project, an educational charity homing plants essential to our daily lives and the health of the planet, which was brought to life with the support of £37.5million from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Maggie’s

Maggie’s was the vision of Maggie Keswick Jencks, who had an idea for a different type of cancer care after being diagnosed with the disease. She died in 1995, but Laura Lee, Maggie’s nurse and friend, worked with her family to ensure her vision became a reality. With the support of over £3million in National Lottery funding, Maggie’s has expanded from a single centre in Edinburgh to a network of 24 centres across the UK and four international locations.

North Wales Crusaders Wheelchair Rugby League & Disability Sports Clubs

The Stephen Jones’s North Wales Crusaders Wheelchair Rugby League club was born out of a desire to make the rugby league accessible to everyone. The club has produced 16 international players under Stephen’s stewardship and National Lottery funding has played a vital role in its success, helping to equip the teams with sports wheelchairs.

Hidden Communities Project in St Peter’s Immaculata Youth Centre

Conor Largey is being recognised as a Game Changer for his work as coordinator of the National Lottery-funded £500,000 Hidden Communities Project in St Peter’s Immaculata Youth Centre, helping at-risk young people change their lifestyles. Conor has shared his experiences of growing up in north Belfast, helping give an insight into the issues affecting young people. Since then, this programme has distributed £65.5million to 155 projects, supporting nearly 100,000 children and young people across Northern Ireland.

Deaffest

Deaffest has grown to become the UK’s leading deaf-led film, TV and arts festival since its inception in Wolverhampton in 2006 by Marilyn Willrich and Nikki Stratton. Deaffest aims to support and develop the talents of emerging and established deaf filmmakers and artists around the world. The weekend includes screenings, exhibitions, workshops, networking opportunities and awards, along with Young Deaffest and ensures Deaf audiences have the same access to culture as hearing audiences.

Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival

The biggest international LGBTQ+ short film festival in the world, the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival offers a short film prize at £30,000. To date, nine short films have been produced with the Iris Prize, including Burger and Followers, which was screened at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2016 the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary and was recognised by Bafta as an ‘A’ list festival. The Cardiff-based event was even recognised by the late Queen at a reception for the British Film Industry in 2013.

Parkrun

Paul Sinton-Hewitt has been recognised as a Game Changer for his idea which was borne out of his belief that sport should be about community and not necessarily about competing. In 2004, while recovering from injury and dealing with his own personal challenges, he started the first Parkrun event with just 13 participants. Parkrun is now a truly global movement where millions of people across 22 countries and five continents take part in free, weekly, timed five-kilometre running events every Saturday morning in parks.

Windrush Foundation

Arthur Torrington CBE has dedicated his life to preserving the legacy of the Windrush Generation. He was born in Guyana and in 1995 co-founded the Windrush Foundation to celebrate the untold stories of Caribbean settlers who transformed Britain. His work ensures the legacy of the Windrush Generation is remembered, inspiring future generations to appreciate and honour their history and contributions.

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