Lottery to help good causes
Published
Friday 29 November, 2024
Updated
Friday 29 November, 2024
Community lottery gets the green light.
Good causes will be able to get a cash boost thanks to Swale Borough Council’s new community lottery.
Borough Council’s Policy and Resources committee this week agreed the final parts of the process that will allow the council to launch this new fundraising initiative to support good causes within the borough.
The lottery will be a great way for Swale residents to support the good causes that matter most to them and have the chance to win cash prizes.
Leading lottery management company, Gatherwell, has been appointed by the council to run the scheme, having already launched similar lotteries elsewhere.
When the lottery launches in early 2025 people will be able to buy tickets online, and support the good cause of their choice, tickets will cost £1 a week.
The draw will be weekly, where people will have the chance to win a jackpot of £25,000, with the other possible prizes being £2,000, £250 and £25.
Good causes will soon be invited to register to raise funds with the community lottery, where they will keep 50% from every ticket they sell.
To qualify as a good cause the organisation needs to be a non-profit and provide community activities or services within Swale.
A further 10% from every ticket will go into a Central Fund that will be distributed to more good causes, with the remainder being put towards prizes, operating costs and VAT.
Cllr Tim Gibson chair of the Policy and Resources Committee said:
“Our new community lottery is an exciting way for us to fundraise for causes that offer invaluable services to the people within the borough.
“It is no secret that councils across the country are struggling to balance their books; and with our budget under immense pressure we have to look for other methods to generate funds for the local good causes we’d like to support.
“All of the proceeds from this new initiative will go towards good causes, and running the lottery, much like the Postcode Lottery but specifically for the benefit of Swale and our residents.
“Please keep an eye out for more information, whether you are a charity who would like to join up, or you would like to get tickets for this lottery to support the good causes you care about, and have a chance to win amazing prizes.”
Cllr Richard Palmer, chair of the Community and Leisure Committee, said:
“We are soon going to be looking for good causes to sign up, which is an amazing opportunity for us to be able to help them with crucial funding.
“The charities and organisations will receive half of the money from every ticket they sell, helping them create a steady source of income, whilst also opening up the opportunity for additional funding from the central fund.
“We look forward to seeing this community lottery up and running, and funding important community projects across the borough.”
You can get regular updates on the progress of the community lottery on the council’s website, Facebook page, and on the dedicated community lottery website which will be launching soon.
