Organisations urged to sign up to new Portsmouth community lottery

City leaders are today calling on organisations to declare whether they would like to secure cash made from the lottery, for which the public can start buying tickets from Monday, September 19.

From each £1 ticket sold, 60p will go directly to local causes.

The rest will go to fund another pot of money for one-off grants to good causes, and to pay running costs.

A £25,000 weekly jackpot and smaller prizes will also be up for grabs.

Deputy Tory council leader, Councillor Luke Stubbs, who put forward the proposal to the full council before it was agreed upon, said: ‘The Portsmouth Lottery has great potential.

‘If everything goes well, it will raise significant funds for good causes locally. It’s important we get as many organisations signed up to it as possible now, before we move towards the first draw.

‘We’re in uncharted territory. We don’t know what the response will be, but Portsmouth has a strong community spirit, so we are hoping that will shine through in the numbers and level of interest.’

An external management company is responsible for the scheme, and launched a similar lottery with Aylesbury Vale Council, which was the first of its kind in the country. There is no financial cost to the council, as the management firm takes ownership of the prize fund costs.

Tickets go on sale from September 19 at portsmouthlottery.co.uk The first draw will take place on Saturday, November 5.

Organisations interested in benefiting should contact the council directly.

GROUPS THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM TEH FUND

A NUMBER of community organisations have already signed up to benefit from the Portsmouth Lottery.

They are; Portsmouth & Southsea Voluntary Lifeguards, sailing charity 1851 Trust, EC Roberts Centre, Portsmouth Hospitals Charity Action, Portsmouth Alexander Bowls Club and Southsea Greenhouse.

Aylesbury Vale Council generated £70,000 in the first three months of the launch of its community lottery scheme for good causes, and has more than 115 organisations signed up.

The Portsmouth Lottery prize fund is guaranteed and not dependent on ticket sales.