Love Blaby Lottery celebrates fourth anniversary

With over £115,000 raised for good causes across the district, Love Blaby Lottery is celebrating its fourth birthday.

The online lottery to help local community groups raise vital funds, costs just £1 a week, with 50 pence from each ticket going straight to a local group of the player's choice.

The Saturday weekly draw gives players a 1 in 50 chance of winning a prize, including a £25,000 jackpot.

To mark four years of the lottery, a special prize promotion of £250 is open to any new good causes signed up before the anniversary draw on Saturday 26 February. Any supporters with a ticket in the anniversary draw will also be in with a chance of winning £250.

Money raised by the lottery has provided vital help for 66 community groups, local charities and sports clubs over its four-year run, including the Stoney Stanton Community Library.

The library raised nearly £500 through tickets purchased over the last year, with library volunteer Pauline Fergusson saying: "The lottery income has been invaluable in helping to keep the library open to as many residents as possible."

The lottery has particularly helped organisations to fundraise during the pandemic when other face-to-face fundraising activities had to stop. Menphys, a charity specialising in supporting Leicestershire children and young people with disabilities, have raised nearly £1000 from the lottery since joining.

Toni Holland from the charity said: "The funding enabled us to make a wide range of themed care packages which were delivered to vulnerable families. We maintained a vital link for families to feel supported, connected and visible."

Councillor Sharon Coe, Blaby District Council's portfolio holder for Health, Wellbeing, Community Engagement and Business Support, said: "Love Blaby Lottery is an invaluable way in which we can show our support to local community groups. We are committed to helping support these charities and clubs that give back to the local area.

We are incredibly grateful to all those who continue to play their part in the lottery and welcome any newcomers, and hope that the lottery continues on to celebrate many more birthdays."

Visit the Love Blaby Lottery website to play the lottery, renew your tickets or find out about registering a good cause and details of our current promotions. Players must be 16+ years of age and a resident in the UK. Please gamble responsibly. If you need to talk to someone about your gambling, please contact Gamble Aware: https://www.begambleaware.org/