Cherwell Lottery community grant offers help for local groups

The Cherwell Lottery community grant will be taking applications from October 1. It is being offered as part of The Cherwell Lottery, a fundraising scheme which Cherwell District Council launched in 2019.

School PTAs, upcyclers, and an animal rescue group all number among the 87 good causes which get regular dividends from the Cherwell Lottery. In addition to these, a £10,000 pot has now been built up from ticket sales and will allow organisations to apply for up to £1,000 each, to fund specific projects.

The news has been welcomed by the Valentine Club, a seniors’ group with more than 100 members.

Speaking in advance of International Day of Older Persons (also October 1), club organiser Richard Preston, said: “In these times of uncertainty and the inability to raise funds for our seniors’ group, the revenue received from The Cherwell Lottery has been invaluable. Our annual fundraiser had to be cancelled and our monthly meetings curtailed, meaning no income from sales tables and raffles.

“When we recommence our regular meetings and outings to places near and far, our finances will be in place to allow us to bring together all those over 65’s from the surrounding area of Steeple Aston and bring smiles and happiness to the often forgotten generation of pensioners that have been isolated from ordinary life for a long time.”

With the new grant funding on the horizon, the council is inviting other organisations to come forward and sign up.

Cllr Andrew McHugh, Cherwell’s lead member for health and wellbeing, said: “A great deal has happened since we launched the Cherwell Lottery at the start of last summer. It is clear that the additional funding it helps generate for local good causes is even more important during these difficult times.

“The lottery really is highly recommended to good causes in north Oxfordshire, so I would encourage any charities, school or community groups out there to sign up and be in with a chance of winning a grant from this exciting new funding pot.”

The grants are designed to support partners with revenue or capital projects that satisfy one or more of Cherwell’s ‘Healthy, Resilient and Engaged Communities’ funding priorities.

To be eligible to apply for a grant, good causes would need to be signed up as lottery partners and have sold tickets prior to the deadline date which is 1 December.

For advice and details of how to apply, people should email [email protected]