Oxford City Council has launched an online lottery to help raise funds for local voluntary and community groups in Oxford.
The Oxford Lottery — which launches today (07/03) — is a weekly online lottery which allows players to enter for a chance to win a jackpot of up to £25,000, whilst nominating their favourite local charities or community groups as beneficiaries.
Players will also be able to support the general Oxford City Lottery Community Fund.
A single ticket for the Oxford Lottery costs £1, and 60 percent of ticket sales will go directly to good causes in Oxford.
Nominated good causes will receive 50p from ticket sales, with 10p going towards the Oxford City Lottery Community Fund.
Community groups and charities who deliver services in Oxford are able to sign up to the Oxford Lottery as beneficiaries.
Each local good cause is supported by the Oxford Lottery and is able to access to their own page within the lottery website. Good causes in Oxford who have already signed up to the Oxford Lottery, include: Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee, Cutteslowe Seniors, and Crisis Skylight Oxford.
Players who do not wish to support a specific cause can still take part in the Oxford Lottery, with 60p of their ticket price going into the general Oxford City Lottery Community Fund, which will be distributed by the council.
The Oxford City Lottery Community Fund will be spent on providing support to a wide range of local organisations and community initiatives which have a beneficial impact on the local community in Oxford.
Lottery management company, Gatherwell has been appointed to run the scheme, having already launched similar lotteries with Portsmouth, Corby, Peterborough and many others.
The draw will be weekly with a jackpot of £25,000 for a matching sequence of six numbers, other prizes being £2,000, £250, £25 or three free tickets.
The first draw for the Oxford Lottery will take place on Saturday 6 April. Each week, the winning numbers will be announced on the Oxford Lottery website and on social media – the winners will be contacted individually.
Players of the Oxford Lottery must be 16 or over and physically located in the UK.
Always play responsibly, if you need to talk to someone about your gambling please contact www.gambleaware.co.uk
Councillor Marie Tidball, Board Member for Supporting Local Communities, said: “Each year the city council provides £1.4m of grants to voluntary and community groups in Oxford. The Oxford Lottery is an additional way of generating funding available to these groups. We hope that the Oxford Lottery will provide a new funding opportunity for them to develop new projects and sustain their resources. The Oxford Lottery is a great way for the community to get involved and help support local groups in Oxford.”
Carol Richards, Children and Families Services Manager, Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee, said: “We are very excited to be supporting the Oxford Lottery and to be one of the community groups who have signed up as beneficiaries. The Oxford Lottery is a good way of raising awareness of our project, whilst also raising much needed funds and making those who win happy."
If you would like to get involved, and buy a ticket to support your favourite good cause, visit to the Oxford Lottery website.
Voluntary and community groups who have not yet signed up to this, can do so here too.
- More articles in the news archive
- Oxford City Council news RSS feed
