The beautiful abbey on the monastery island of Caldey is one of the first lottery-funded projects to be recognised with a National Lottery 'Blue Plaque'.

The blue plaques recognise how the National Lottery has transformed communities across Wales.

The first 10,000 blue plaques will be sponsored by lottery operator, Camelot, and distributed to lottery-funded venues across Britain by the 10th anniversary of the National Lottery in November 2004.

Nearly every lottery beneficiary - from the major national projects to tiny community schemes - will eventually receive a plaque with the crossed finger logo and the words 'Awarded National Lottery Funding'.

A major project of improvement works including the restoration and conservation of the island's Grade II listed monastery complex was able to commence in 1999 due in part to a grant award of £562,800 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Since the launch in 1994, National Lottery players have raised £14 billion for good causes - benefiting over 150,000 projects, large and small, across the UK.

Over 11,000 of these beneficiaries are based in Wales, receiving a total of £670 million from the National Lottery.

However, despite the huge impact the lottery has made, many players are not aware of how their money has been spent - the launch of the blue plaques will highlight exactly where good cause money has gone and how lottery players have made a difference to the communities of Britain.

Father Daniel, Abbot of Caldey Island Monastery, said: "The grant we received from the Heritage Lottery Fund made a significant difference to us as it made up 60 per cent of the total funds we needed to start the improvement works.

"This grant has enabled us to restore and improve the island's historic buildings - which include the entire Abbey complex, the guest house with its chapel, the Abbey Church, the cloister and the living quarters of the community.

"The work included all the roofs, the windows, the gutters, the drainpipes, the drainage and the complete white paint of all the outside walls. We are very grateful for the generous support we have been given."

To support the campaign, Camelot, operator of the National Lottery, has sponsored the first 10,000 plaques, which will rollout in the first year leading up to the 10th anniversary of the lottery next year.

Camelot's chief executive, Dianne Thompson, said: "As operator of the National Lottery, Camelot is aware how crucial it is to communicate to the playing public where their money has gone. Lottery players have raised a phenomenal £14 billion for good causes - they have a right to know where their money is going.

"We are delighted that blue plaques with the crossed fingers logo will appear on lottery-funded projects so the public can see exactly how their money has been spent and how - by playing National Lottery games - they have helped transform communities throughout Wales and the rest of the UK."