East Lancashire hospices fear new Health Lottery will hit finances (From Lancashire Telegraph)
When news happens, text LT and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
East Lancashire hospices fear new Health Lottery will hit finances
2:10pm Saturday 8th October 2011 in Fence
HOSPICE bosses have urged their supporters in East Lancashire to boycott the newly-launched Health Lottery.
Fundraisers at East Lancashire and Pendleside Hospices fear the new national draw will eat into the profits of their own lotteries.
More than £600,000 is generated to provide vital care services for local patients by the Blackburn and Reedley hospices’ draws.
And hospice supporters say there is no guarantee that any of the Health Lottery’s handouts will end up benefiting East Lancashire residents.
Sharon Crymble, East Lancashire Hospice’s fundraising manager, said: “Only 20 pence in the pound will be donated to health charities from the new lottery. We know that a far larger percentage of donations from our lottery will go towards helping East Lancashire people.”
Elsewhere. Pendleside’s lottery earns the Colne Road hospice more than £320,000 per year — and pays for the care of one in 10 of its patients.
John Calvert, their lottery manager, said: “Our weekly hospice lottery is an essential source of income to provide our free specialist care services.
“We are extremely concerned that the new Health Lottery could divert sign-ificant amounts of money away from local hospice care, which is the last thing we need in this already difficult economic climate.”
Mr Calvert said between 60 and 70p per pound was directed towards hospice care from the proceeds of Pendleside’s draw.
The Health Lottery, run by media mogul Richard Desmond, owner of Channel 5 and several national newspapers, is offering a £100,000 first prize.
Officials were unavailable for comment.
Comments(3)
bubble of reason
says...
7:15pm Sat 8 Oct 11
frank wrote:Same Frank. Valuable income for the Hospice :)
i won't be cancelling my east lancs hospice lotto subscription. at least i know where my money is going with them.
bang2rights
says...
11:51pm Sat 8 Oct 11
The People Health Trust who are going to distribute the money, employed a CEO at a cost of £86,639 in 2008-9. (http://www.charityc
ommission.gov.uk/Acc
ounts/Ends37/0001125
537_AC_20090531_E_C.
PDF) Its initial funding was from a loan for from Altala Group plc, after converting the loan to a donation which appears to be in liquidation (http://wck2.compani
eshouse.gov.uk/bede6
eeb8b7aec327a3efbd76
9d0f260/compdetails)
As far as I can tell the money will be distributed by Community Interest Companies all of which appear to be registered in London and all those I have checked have the same director Mr Anthony John Vick
We need to question how much of the 20p in the pound goes to meet local need and how much will go to local good causes.
frank says...
5:00pm Sat 8 Oct 11