Removing the Cap on Charity Lotteries Fundraising

Charity lotteries, or social lotteries, as they are more formally known, generate over £400 million a year for charities and good causes the length and breadth of Great Britain, meaning they constitute a significant funding stream for many well known charities and local community groups alike.

I was therefore pleased to highlight the projects across my own Aldridge-Brownhills constituency which have received funding – including the Canal & River Trust, which has restored the Black Cock Bridge; the Royal Voluntary Service, which operates locally from Brownhills Memorial Hall; and Manor Farm Community Association, which was awarded funding for the Silver Connections outreach programme for the elderly.

However, it is also the case that a charity lottery is restricted to how much they can raise each year as they subject to heavy bureaucratic burdens.

This means that millions in potential funding is needlessly being lost and is being felt by organisations such as Girlguiding, Keep Britain Tidy, and Young Lives vs Cancer.

With cross-party support, I will continue to urge the Government to remove this limit and allow charity lotteries to better support those in need, without cost to the Treasury or taxpayer.