THE supporters of good causes in Redditch are being urged to play their part in making the council’s community lottery a success.
The call comes from Council Leader Matt Dormer after figures showed the lottery only has 184 players out of a first year target of 682 – despite having 32 local organisations standing to benefit from the scheme.
“Yes, the community lottery is not where we wanted it to be and below our predictions but no one predicted Covid and that has had a huge impact on everything,” said Coun Dormer.
“There have not had the events and fetes and fairs where organisations could have been able to promote the lottery.
“For they are the ones who will be beneficiaries of the scheme and they have to highlight the benefits of supporting it.”
The community lottery, first drawn 18 months ago features a £25,000 jackpot prize plus a range of other cash and produce prizes.
The more good causes back the scheme it is hoped the more their supporters and friends will buy lottery tickets.
A ticket costs £1 and consist of six numbers and players can nominate their favourite good cause from the 32 listed or put it in the council’s community pot’ to be shared out through its grants programme.
Each £1 spent on the lottery sees 50 per cent – 50p – going to the good cause, 10 per cent to a central fund to cover council costs and with any surplus re-allocated to the town’s voluntary community sector.
Another 20 per cent – 20p – goes towards prizes, with 17 per cent going to the firm that runs the lottery for the council – Gatherwell Ltd.
The remaining three per cent is for VAT, which the council can claim back.
For more on the Redditch community lottery visit: https://www.redditchcommunitylottery.co.uk/
