Letter: Lottery is giving art a great start

Sir: What a depressing attitude! Peter Popham's killjoy view of the National Lottery's benefit to the arts (Magazine, 1 July) is another example of the English trait of finding the worst in anything good. We have trailed behind the rest of Europe's enlightened attitude of support for the arts for too long and should now rejoice at the prospect of these small beginnings ... and that's what they are.

Five million pounds a week is only pounds 260 million a year and remember, at the moment, it's only going into facilities, bricks and mortar, etc. These are very important and its thrilling to learn that musical instruments are being bought for the Morecambe Youth Band and of the likely spin-offs that will produce. The next step, however, must be to put funding into the support of arts projects, grants for deserving theatre companies, orchestras and galleries to enable them to develop their creative work. It's all very well funding the construction of wonderful buildings, but pointless if you have nothing wonderful to put in them.

A society that has easy access to the arts can only benefit from experience in the same way the young Morecambe musicians' lives will be improved by gettingnew instruments. Yes, let more money be allotted to teachers, nurses, the NHS and other worthy recipients, but don't begrudge money going into the arts, English Heritage and sport. We will all be able to live in a better world as a result.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Hampton

London, N1