Good causes needed for Mansfield lottery cash

Mansfield District Council established the local lottery to give to bring additional funding to the community.

Now applications are being sought from local groups, organisations and charities for a share of the Robin Hood Lottery Community Fund.

Mayor Kate Allsop said: “The Robin Hood Lottery has got off to a fantastic start and proving to be a great way for people to support charities and groups.

“These organisations, which are so important to the social fabric of Mansfield, will soon start to feel the benefit with this first funding round. Even if you are not a cause signed up to the lottery, you can still apply for a grant if you meet the criteria.”

There is now £10,800 in the fund’s pot to share out and local good cause have until December 7 to apply for grants of up to £2,000.

The bids can be made for anything from one-off expenditure on buildings and equipment and things like staging performances, exhibitions and publications, to help with rent and room hire, office costs, utility bills, training, transport and employee salaries.

This is the general fund that takes 10p from every £1 ticket sold and another 50p from tickets bought by lottery players who nominate the fund as their chosen charity. The money it accumulates is shared out twice a year.

Applications have to meet various criteria. Organisations that apply do not have to be registered with the lottery as good causes but must be:

An established not-for-profit charity, group or support/advisory service

Based in Mansfield, be a local branch of a national organisation or deliver direct benefit to residents and businesses of Mansfield.

More details and an online form to apply can be found at www.mansfield.gov.uk/robinhoodcommunityfund or by contacting Business Support by emailing [email protected] or calling 01623 463442.

With a top prize of £25,000, the first draw of the Robin Hood Lottery was made on 28 April this year.

It currently has 639 supporters who buy about 1,440 tickets a week. Supporters can play to benefit a specific cause or nominate the Community Fund to receive 60p of their £1 ticket sale.

More than 75 good causes are registered with the Lottery. They range from well-known charities such as the Mansfield branches of Age Concern and the Samaritans to local groups such as Mansfield Soup Kitchen and Warsop Athletic FC.

Among the causes with the greatest support is the Sir John Eastwood Hospice with 103 supporters. It stands to gain more than £5,000 annually based on current ticket sales.

To play the Lottery, sign up online at www.robinhoodlottery.co.uk. A full list of winners can be found at www.robinhoodlottery.co.uk/results.