Lottery firm welcomes opportunity to help worthy causes in Portsmouth

It comes after the city’s Tory cabinet agreed to spend £3,500 hiring external lottery management firm Gatherwell to create the scheme.

The firm will create a website where organisations and the public can take part and win cash prizes.

It would work similarly to the Vale Lottery, a weekly lottery that directly supports good causes which benefit the Aylesbury Vale community. Every week a £25,000 prize is up for grabs, with the proceeds from ticket sales divided between good causes in the city.

Ben Spear, Gatherwell’s managing director, said: ‘We are delighted that Gatherwell has been awarded the opportunity to run the new Portsmouth Lottery.

‘We’re looking forward to helping support Portsmouth’s local causes in partnership with Portsmouth City Council.’

A bespoke website will be created featuring an overview of the organisations set to benefit from ticket sales.

Tickets cost £1 and 60 per cent of sales will go to local causes, with the remaining allowance divided between the prize fund and running costs.

Councillor Donna Jones, council leader, said: ‘The Portsmouth Lottery is an innovative way to support charity and voluntary organisations, while the council manages reduced budgets.

‘We believe this option, with an external company taking responsibility for the prize fund costs, mitigates any risk to the council.’