Mansfield good causes urged to apply for Robin Hood Lottery cash

Charities and good causes are being invited to bid for a share of £7,000 raised by the Robin Hood Lottery.

The money has been accumulating in the Robin Hood Lottery Community Fund which is shared out twice a year.

Mansfield District Council established the local lottery last year to give to bring additional funding to the community. From each £1 ticket sold, 10p goes into the community fund. An additional 50p from each ticket goes to the fund, too, if players nominate it as their chosen charity.

Applications to the community fund for this round of grants can be made by local groups, charities and good causes until the end of July.

Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “I would encourage local organisations to apply. Last time we distributed the lottery pot, we gave out £12,000 to 12 good causes. Even if you are not a cause signed up to the lottery, you can still apply for a grant if you meet the criteria.”

Among the charities to benefit in the last round of bids was the Emily Harris Foundation which supports the Neo Natal Unit at Kings Mill Hospital. It received £2,000 from the community fund.

Other successful bids, ranging from £500 to £2,000, were from the Bramble Academy, Children’s Bereavement Centre, Crossroads Care North Nottinghamshire, Destiny Cheer, Homestart Mansfield, Jerry Green Dog Rescue, Learning Ladder Childcare, National Autistic Society, NIDAS, Reach Learning Disability SHE-UK.

Bids can be made for grants of up to £2,000. They can be used 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.

There is no limit on the number of times good causes can apply for a grant. Organisations that apply do not have to be registered with the lottery but must be a not-for-profit group bringing local benefit to the community. The bids are then further scrutinised and approved by a panel of council officers and the Mayor.

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 Robin Hood Lottery was launched in April last year. It currently has 563 supporters who buy about 993 tickets a week.

From every £1 lottery ticket sold, 60p goes to good causes and the remaining 40p goes into prize money and paying the lottery organiser, Gatherwell. Supporters can play to benefit a specific cause by 50p a ticket (with an extra 10p going to the community fund) or can nominate the community fund to receive 60p of their £1 ticket sale.

A total of £9,100 has been paid out in cash winnings so far, including two for £2,000, which has a 55,500 to one chance of winning. There have also been four £250 winners and 4,227 extra tickets won.

More than 80 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 the Friends of Hornby Plantation and Warsop and District U3A.

Among the causes with the greatest support is the Sir John Eastwood Hospice with 69 tickets sold out of a 220 ticket goal. It stands to gain more than £2,000 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.