Agenda item

The Executive RESOLVED to introduce the Surrey Heath Community Lottery by April 2019 and a new Annual Community Lottery award scheme from April 2020, with the implementation of the lottery delegated to the Executive Head of Transformation in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Support & Safeguarding. 

The Executive considered a report recommending the introduction of a new Surrey Heath Community Lottery.

The Lottery would generate funds to support good causes within the borough and enable voluntary not for profit organisations to access funds from this initiative; the community would have an opportunity to support their chosen charity at the same time as a chance of winning up to £25,000 per week.

Over 50 councils had established or were in the process of establishing a community lottery, most of which had engaged an External Lottery Manager (ELM) to manage the lottery on its behalf.  It was advised that Gatherwell Ltd was the largest provider of council lotteries.

There would be weekly draw with tickets costing £1, with an option of 50% of proceeds from the sale contributing towards local good causes registered with the scheme.

Once launched and established, the Council’s operational involvement in the lottery would be minimal. Members also noted that the Council would need to apply for a licence from the Gambling Commission and that the Executive Head of Transformation would oversee this process.

The funds would be accumulated over the year, with the first awards to be made in spring 2020 and applications invited to the new scheme nearer that time when the proceeds were known. The scheme would be named Surrey Heath Annual Community Lottery Award Scheme and operated alongside the Council’s existing Revenue and Community Fund Grant schemes.

The set up and ongoing annual costs of running the lottery were noted. It was intended that the ongoing annual costs would be funded by the 3% VAT recovery cost that was levied for each lottery ticket sale; any excess proceeds would be added to the Surrey Heath Annual Lottery Award Scheme.

RESOLVED to introduce the Surrey Heath Community Lottery by April 2019 and a new Annual Community Lottery award scheme from April 2020, with the implementation of the lottery delegated to the Executive Head of Transformation in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Support & Safeguarding.