Changes to our Lottery
We made some exciting changes to our lottery in 2019.
From Friday 9th August our total weekly prize pot increased to £3,500, offering 24 more chances to win and introducing a new rollover prize.
Our lottery cost per play increased from £1.00 to £2.00 from the draw on Friday 9th August. This is the first time we have increased our ticket price in 25 years.
We wrote to all of our lottery players about the changes in June and have answered some questions about the changes below.
Why has the lottery changed
Our lottery was launched over 25 years ago to raise funds for St Ann’s Hospice, and in that time our players have raised more than £20 Million to help us to support local patients and their families. The cost of providing hospice care has increased since the lottery launched in 1994, and we have broadened our services and reach to ensure we can care for even more patients than ever before. The world we operate within has also changed significantly, with the political, economic and health and social care landscape becoming increasingly complex, and we therefore decided to increase the lottery entry cost from £1 to £2 to help us continue to fund hospice care for future generations.
What changes have you made?
In addition to the rise in entry cost from £1 to £2, we are excited to have increased our weekly prize pot to give players a chance to win a share of £3,500. There are additional prizes available for winners, and we now also sell single tickets in our St Ann’s Hospice shops and hospice sites. This will hopefully give players even greater flexibility in how they choose to play.
When did the changes happen?
The first £2 lottery draw, for the chance to win one of the prizes from our new prize pot of £3,500, took place on Friday 9th August.
Why has the cost to enter your lottery increased?
Our lottery has been running for over 25 years at £1 per weekly entry. During that time we have strived to raise as much as possible for St Ann’s patients and their families. The costs to run our lottery have increased, as have the costs to provide the invaluable services St Ann’s offers across Greater Manchester. We have also seen other national and local lotteries increase their entry cost and made the decision to increase our entry cost after careful evaluation and consideration of all of these factors. This also enables us to provide a bigger prize pot and more chances of winning, which we’re pleased to implement in response to feedback from players.
What prizes can I win?
Our new prize pot offers lottery players the chance to win up to £2,000 in our weekly draw as well as up to £10,000 with our brand new rollover prize.
1st Prize – £2,000
Rollover Prize – £1,000
4 x £50
30 x £10
How does the rollover work?
The rollover is an additional weekly draw that all members are entered into. Our Random Number Generator will pick a Unique Entry number each week for the £1,000 prize.
The £1,000 prize rolls over and is increased by £1,000 for each week it isn’t won up to a maximum of £10,000.
I pay for my lottery by direct debit, what do I need to do?
You don’t need to do anything. Following notification to all of our members who make their lottery payments by this method, direct debit payment collections from August were increased to make sure you are still entered into the weekly draw without interruption.
I pay for my lottery by standing order, what do I need to do?
It’s up to you – you can continue to pay by standing order and change your payment amount with your bank, or you can set up a direct debit payment here or by calling 0161 498 3642. Direct debit payments are the most cost effective for St Ann’s, allowing us to keep administration and bank charges to a minimum, ensuring the maximum amount possible is passed on to the hospice.
I pay for my lottery by cheque/card, can I still pay this way?
Yes, of course. If you want to continue to pay by cheque/card we will continue to get in touch to remind you when your next payment is due. If you would prefer to set up a direct debit payment to make sure you don’t miss a draw, you can set up your payments at here or by calling 0161 498 3642. Direct debit payments are the most cost effective for the hospice, so you will be helping even more!
I’ve been a lottery member for a long time, but I didn’t receive a letter about the changes?
We wrote to all of our members in June about the planned changes and can only apologise to anyone who didn’t receive their letter. If you think we may not hold up to date address details for you, please email lottery@sah.org.uk or telephone 0161 498 3642.
If you can’t find the answer to your question above, please contact our lottery team at lottery@sah.org.uk or by calling 0161 498 3642.
