ellenor announces NEW £10,000 Lottery Jackpot!
Our weekly lottery now has even more prizes, and to make things extra interesting the second prize will roll over each week -- up to a maximum value of 10,000!
Our Head of Fundraising Helen Waters says: “It costs less than a cup of coffee to take part each week and it’s win, win – for the players and for us.
“We have had to look closely at the way people support us, especially during the past year. Community fundraising is grass roots – it’s our bread and butter. Covid put a stop to many of our events and our supporters are having to fundraise in different ways, and those gaps need to be filled until we get back to normal. Things like the lottery are now even more vital to us.”
We are hoping to raise a staggering £750,000 from the lottery by the end of the current financial year. And to entice even more people to take part, we have increased the number of prizes from 43 to 53 each week. The first prize is £1,000, second prize £250, third prize £100, and there are 50 prizes of £10 each.
Helen says: “There’s no greater feeling on a Friday when we phone someone to say they have won £1,000 – especially if they are just in the middle of doing the washing up or their weekly shop. Their reaction is amazing.”
Fundraising is a very important part of ellenor’s existence and during the Covid pandemic our charity’s fundraisers and supporters have had to work even harder to keep the coffers full. It costs £7million a year to run the hospice at Northfleet and provide vital support in the community. The charity helps patients of all ages who are living with life limiting illnesses and their families - at the hospice itself and in homes across North Kent, and provides respite for children in North Kent and Bexley.
Helen praises the fundraising community for their unstinting support, particularly during the restrictions, and she asks each one of them to act as an ambassador for the charity.
She says: “We need the younger generation to get involved because that’s how the cycle keeps going. If you do our lottery, why not mention it to your grown-up children, your family and friends? For many people, it’s an affordable amount, and it helps their local hospice. If people can afford to play, it’s such an easy thing to do.”
“I’m from Gravesend myself and when I see the support ellenor gets from its local community it makes me feel so proud, and I know that support also stretches out to all the surrounding towns and villages. We’re so lucky to have this hospice, and if people can help fund it, then they should.
“The lottery is such a substantial part of our fundraising portfolio and our supporters have stuck with it during the pandemic. We hope people continue to get on board and spread the word. The face of fundraising is always changing. We are so grateful to our community who continue to support us year on year – and that’s why initiatives like the lottery are so important.”
What are the odds?
If you like to study the odds before placing a bet, here are some persuasive statistics: You have about one chance in 9.2million of winning anything when you play the National Lottery, but with the ellenor Lottery, you have one chance in 170.
Individual Giving Manager Hayley Brown says: “It’s a no-brainer! It’s so easy. You just go online to www.ellenor.org/lottery, click on ‘support us’ and ‘lottery’, then choose ‘sign up to play’ and you can pay monthly by direct debit.
“The ellenor lottery was an initiative started many years ago by the Lions Hospice, with collectors going door to door. But things have moved on now and there are different ways to approach people and new payment methods. We’re particularly keen to encourage younger people to play. It’s open to anyone over 18.”
Of the money raised each year, our charity is able to give 69 percent directly to providing hospice care for patients and their families – during the last financial year that figure was £343,317. Whereas the National Lottery is only able to give 25 percent of the money raised to good causes.
Hayley says: “Our lottery is a fun and simple way to provide regularly support to a charity which relies on the community.”
For more information please contact ellenor’s lottery team on 01322 626508 or email lottery@ellenor.org
