CHARITIES and organisations in Wyre Forest can now apply to become an official community lottery good cause and earn vital income from weekly cash draws.

The first prize draw of Wyre Forest District Council's new community lottery will take place in November and applications are now open for good causes to take a proportion of the ticket sales.

The council has appointed an established operator which manages other community lotteries across the country and will not receive any money from the scheme.

An online presentation giving organisations information about the lottery and how to apply can be watched on the council's website wyreforestdc.gov.uk/lotterylaunch.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public from Tuesday, October 20 and the first draw will take place on Saturday, November 28.

Entry into the draw will cost £1 with 60p going towards local good causes. This compares with 28p in the pound for the National Lottery.

The draw will be weekly with a jackpot of £25,000 for a matching sequence of six numbers. Other prizes include £2,000, £250, £25 or three free tickets.

Players will be able to choose whether to support a specific local charity – which has been vetted to make sure it meets the necessary criteria - or support a general good causes fund, which will then be distributed by the council.

Local good causes which register and meet the necessary criteria will be able to set up their own page within a new Wyre Forest Community Lottery website and will receive 50p in every pound spent by players who select them.

Another 10p in every pound will go into a general good causes fund, with the remainder going towards prizes, operating costs and VAT.

Players who do not wish to support a specific cause can still take part in the lottery, with 60p of their ticket price going into a central good causes fund to be distributed by the council.

Cabinet member for culture, leisure and community protection, Councillor Helen Dyke, said: “This exciting project started gathering speed last November as a way for us as a local authority to raise money with the local community and for the local community.

“Since then the world has changed and the pandemic has made it even harder for charitable organisations to raise vital funds. I would urge anyone involved in local community groups to watch the presentation and get their application in.

“I’m particularly excited that this initiative will help the smaller as well as larger organisations tap into funding and I would everyone to help us spread the word and encourage as many community groups as possible to get involved.”