Charities urged to apply for lottery grants

Tuesday 07 January 2020

Charities only have until the end of this month to apply for a grant from the CI Christmas Lottery.

The top prize of £1 million in the 2019 Lottery was won by a Guernsey resident, and local charities now have the opportunity to also benefit from the proceeds of tickets sold in the island.

In previous years, the Christmas Lottery has raised more than £200,000 per year. The total raised from the 2019 draw is not yet known, however Chairman of the Association of Guernsey Charities Malcolm Woodhams said it would provide a valuable source of funding towards local projects. 

“We know that many charities are finding it harder to raise the funds they require so the Christmas Lottery is an important source of funding for the charitable sector," he said. "We don’t want any organisations to miss this opportunity, and we encourage charities to consider their financial requirements for 2020 and, if necessary, submit an application”.

Pictured: Association of Guernsey Charities Malcolm Woodhams.

Last year, £218,118 was issued in grants to charities from the 2018 Christmas Lottery, which enabled the Association of Guernsey Charities to provide funding to 40 local projects, with grants ranging from £400 to over £26,000. 

Applicants need to complete an application form, and supply full accounts, together with any background information detailing why the grant is required.

To cut down on the considerable amount of paperwork that has historically been generated with lottery applications, the AGC has changed the lottery application form so that charities can submit their application and supporting documents by email.

“In the past we have asked charities to send two copies of each item that they submit. However, we have reviewed our processes, and the new electronic application will be far more efficient as well as more environmentally friendly," said Mr Woodhams. "The application form features the same questions, and we have ensured that the form is simple and straightforward as we want to encourage applications from as many organisations as possible.

Pictured: Tickets costs £3 last year with a guaranteed £1million top prize for the first time. 

"Every application is read and evaluated by each of the association’s 10 council members, prior to us meeting to discuss and compile a shortlist of potential recipients. Whilst this process takes a considerable amount of our time, it is thorough and fair.”

The closing date for grant applications is Friday 31 January. If organisations have any questions they should firstly contact their AGC sector representative who will be able to provide assistance.

Charities interested in applying for a grant can find more details and an application pack on the Association of Guernsey Charities website – www.charity.org.gg.