New community lottery proposed to support Dudley good causes

A new community lottery could soon launch in Dudley borough to help raise funds for local good causes.

The proposed Dudley Community Lottery will give clubs, groups, charities and organisations the opportunity to raise funds through an online weekly draw, with players having the chance to win a top prize of £25,000.

At Dudley Council’s cabinet meeting next week, members will be asked to approve the establishment and launch of the Dudley Community Lottery and the appointment of Gatherwell Ltd, a licensed External Lottery Manager, to fully manage the operation.

If approved, local good causes will be encouraged to sign up to benefit, with Gatherwell supporting organisations through the process.

Players of the lottery will be able to choose which local cause they want their money to support from those signed up.

For each £1 ticket, 50p will go directly to the player’s chosen good cause and 10p will go to the Dudley Community Celebrations Fund. This would help support local events, celebrations and activities that bring communities together across the borough.

Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “The Dudley Community Lottery is an exciting opportunity to generate additional funding for the fantastic organisations, charities and community groups which make such a positive difference across our borough.

“It also enables residents playing the lottery to directly support causes they care about while helping create a wider fund that can be re-invested into community-led events and or voluntary sector activity across the borough.”

Based on comparable community lottery schemes elsewhere in the country, local good causes in Dudley borough could benefit from an estimated £75,000 to £150,000 each year.

The Lottery will not replace existing grant programmes or statutory funding. It is intended to provide an additional source of income for local good causes.

Participation will be entirely voluntary, and the lottery will operate in line with Gambling Commission requirements, including responsible gambling controls.

The Dudley Community Lottery report will go to the next meeting of the Cabinet on August 13.