Community groups invited to become a lottery good cause
Local organisations and charities in Wyre Forest are being invited to apply to become an official good cause of the new Wyre Forest Community Lottery.
The lottery – which will start in November – will help local charities and organisations raise vital funds by taking a proportion of ticket sales.
Wyre Forest District Council has appointed an established operator which works with other councils across the country to manage the lottery and will not receive any money from the scheme.
The council is inviting local charitable groups to join an online event at 11am on Wednesday 16 September where they will find out how the lottery will work and how they can apply to become an official good cause.
Organisations which operate in the district are being asked to express their interest in attending by booking a free “ticket” by clicking on https://wyreforestcommunitylotterygoodcauseslaunch.eventbrite.co.uk
Joining instructions to the actual online event will be emailed to them nearer the time.
The first draw will take place at the end of November and tickets will cost £1 with 60p going towards local good causes, compared with just 28p in the pound for the National Lottery.
The draw will be weekly with a jackpot of £25,000 for a matching sequence of six numbers, other prizes being £2,000, £250, £25 or three free tickets.
Players will be able to choose whether to support a specific local charity – which has been vetted to make sure it meets necessary criteria – or support a general good causes fund, which will then be distributed by the council.
Local good causes which register and meet the necessary criteria will be able to set up their own page within a new Wyre Forest Community Lottery website and will receive 50p in every pound spent by players who select them. Another 10p in every pound will go into a general good causes fund, with the remainder being put towards prizes, operating costs and VAT.
Players who do not wish to support a specific cause can still take part in the lottery with 60p of their ticket price going into a central good causes fund, which will be distributed by the council.
Cabinet member for Culture, Leisure and Community Protection Councillor Helen Dyke said: “We know that local organisations have been unable to raise funds in other more traditional ways this year due to Covid-19.
“The lottery will help plug that gap and provide a new income stream for local community groups who are working hard to support people of all ages in the district. I would urge organisers in those organisations to come along to the virtual event and find out more about how they can get involved.
“We know not all groups will be eligible, but we want to cast our net as wide as possible and encourage grass root organisations which do meet the criteria and are doing so much good in our communities, to apply.”
Other councils running local lotteries include Worcester City, Telford and Wrekin and South Staffs.