Good causes thank Eastbourne Local Lottery for share of £23,000 fund

Eastbourne Local Lottery is distributing £23,000 from its community fund across a diverse range of good causes in the town.

The money has been accrued through ticket sales over the last two years from people who opt to support Eastbourne Lottery Community Fund rather than a specific good cause.
 

All active charities and good causes that are part of the lottery will receive a payout from this fund, topping up their income raised from ticket sales by players who nominate them directly.
 

Councillor Alan Shuttleworth, Cabinet Member for Direct Assistant Services, said: “The first Eastbourne Local Lottery draw was four years ago this summer and over that time it has been marvellous to see the financial boost it has given to a great number and variety of local community groups.
 

“We were among the first local councils in the country to launch a local lottery and I’m delighted at its success. My thanks to the regular players who are supporting Eastbourne good causes by taking part.”
 

Among the groups receiving money from the lottery’s Community Fund are Eastbourne and District Friends of the Earth. Andrew Durling, the group’s joint co-ordinator, said: “Our group has benefited greatly from Eastbourne Local Lottery, as the funds we have received from it has helped us, amongst other things, to finance the ongoing Greening Eastbourne Station project that we launched several years ago in collaboration with Southern railway and the Southeast Communities Rail Partnership.
 

“This has seen a number of large planters installed around Eastbourne station, planted up and watered by our volunteers on a regular basis, greatly brightening up the station with a touch of nature at its most leafy and colourful, enhancing the station environment for both rail travellers and station staff.”
 

Also receiving funds is the Children with Cancer Fund, which said money from Eastbourne Local Lottery has had a ‘tremendous impact’ on the charity’s work to support children with cancer and their families, including granting wishes for young people, family trips, events and offering practical help.
 

BreatheEasy Eastbourne, a charity that supports people in the local community who suffer from chronic lung disease, lung cancer and asthma, is also benefitting. The charity’s CEO, Kimberlee Cole, said: “We are able to offer support to our service users thanks to the help from our hard-working volunteers who, themselves, all suffer from lung disease. 
 

“Furthermore, we could not operate without kind donations from organisations such as Eastbourne Local Lottery and the Community Fund which enable us to offer a range of services such as a pulmonary rehabilitation maintenance programme, monthly meetings with invited speakers, a drop-in centre in Seaside and an accessible allotment for people with limited movement.”

For more information about playing Eastbourne Local Lottery or to register your good cause visit www.eastbournelocallottery.co.uk