Kingston Council has launched its first ever local lottery in an attempt to unite the borough and raise money for good causes in Kingston’s community.
Tickets will cost £1, and prizes will range from £25 to £25,000. The aim is to match as many numbers in a row as possible: the more matches on a ticket, the bigger the prize. The odds of winning a prize will be at least 50:1.
The Kingston Community Lottery celebrated its first draw on October 9 in what will become a weekly occurrence. The lottery hopes to generate over £11,000 by the end of the year.
The lottery’s official website has released a statement saying: “All good causes supported by the lottery will benefit the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and its residents.”
The Lottery has confirmed it will be a completely non-profit organisation, with 60 per cent of each ticket purchase going towards good causes. The remaining 40 per cent will predominantly contribute towards the prizes won by ticket holders.
Ticket holders will be allowed to decide for themselves where the money they have spent on their tickets will be sent. They can either support the Kingston Community Lottery, where the funds will be distributed to the local community via a committee, or to a cause of their own choosing.
So far, nearly 400 tickets have been sold, with ambitions to sell 1650 within the year. Saturday’s draw alone raised hundreds of pounds for the local community.
Kingston Council said: “Thanks to everyone who joined in and helped to support our borough’s fantastic good causes.”
As well as purchasing tickets, the public can use the lottery to fund their own causes. This will allow local charities and organisations to create their own pages on the lottery’s website. They will also be able to keep 50 per cent of the money raised through their pages.
To buy a ticket, support the lottery or apply as a charity or organisation, you can visit the Kingston Charity Lottery official website.
