Groombridge Post Office has success on lottery

The post office is a vital community hub in Groombridge and was saved from closure by the parish council. It now operates as a Community Interest Company (CIC) – a company set up to benefit the local community.

The post office signed up to the Wealden Community Lottery to boost income and protect the asset, which is an important part of the village.

The Wealden Community Lottery has been set up to help local good causes throughout Wealden to raise money and make improvements to services across Sussex.

From every ticket sale, the chosen cause receives 50% from the sale of each £1 ticket with an additional 10% going to further support the local community. There are weekly cash prizes to be won up to the value of the £25,000 jackpot and with 50:1 odds of winning a prize, it’s a low-risk fun way for residents to help support their local community.

Since joining the lottery, the post office has generated more than £2,000 and helped to promote the service and encourage new users. One of the first purchases made with the funds was a new card stand.

Sam Caitlin from Groombridge Post Office said, “The lottery was straightforward when signing up and the support given to us throughout the process, from the initial application to acceptance of application was brilliant. The information we requested was readily available to us and any questions we had were answered quickly.

“All the resources on the webpage are tailored to your specific cause which saves a lot of time and effort. They can also be used in different ways from posters to social media which means you only need five minutes a week to market the lottery.

Councillor Kelvin Williams, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat) and lead councillor for Public Health, Wellbeing and Asset Management, said, “There are many good causes in the Wealden Community Lottery that are becoming successful which is great to see. The post office in Groombridge has shown how easy it is to make changes to boost income and create a closer community.

“The funds generated are used to benefit the community and supporters of the organisation. I want to encourage organisations to sign up and start making a difference to the users and the community.”

Over the past 18 months, a total of £79,030.80 has been raised for good causes and central fund combined, had 2,749 winners, totalling combined cash prizes of £14,250 and a total of 7,610 free tickets have been won.

Not-for-profit organisations such as charities, sports clubs, residents’ associations, community groups, parish councils, village halls and PTAs are all welcome to join the lottery and are encouraged to sign up and start benefitting from the lottery.

From every ticket sale, the chosen cause receives 50% from the sale of each £1 ticket with an additional 10% going to further support the local community. There are weekly cash prizes to be won up to the value of the £25,000 jackpot and with 50:1 odds of winning a prize, it’s a low-risk fun way for residents to help support their local community.

If you’re part of a local organisation engaging with Wealden residents and interested in raising unrestricted and monthly income, please go to Wealden Community Lottery website for further information: https://www.wealdencommunitylottery.co.uk/  or contact Wealden District Council on communitygrants@wealden.gov.uk