Issue - meetings

To consider the interim head of corporate services’ report. 

Cabinet considered the interim head of corporate services’ report.  The cabinet member for community engagement introduced the item, proposing a business case for the community lottery scheme, which had been approved in 2018 but had been paused based on a combination of feedback derived from observations of success rates of other authorities, alongside work in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Through a small initial investment, the council could support local voluntary and community groups in their running costs. Groups would also have access to capital funding. The scheme would allow local groups to have ownership of funding in comparison to specific use through grants; this would enable these groups to continue their work within the district. There was no expected cost to the community organisation, and it would enable them to continue without any new risks. The scheme was expected to be self-financing in the first year and generating income in later years.

Questions were asked regarding the cost for the first year and whether costs would be recuperated or not. The community enablement manager clarified that initial costs would be £5000 and would be delivered through the existing budget. She also further explained that ongoing costs would be £1200 a year, which could be recovered in future and that ongoing costs would be covered through ticket sales. It was calculated that the scheme would need to sell 200 tickets a week and the lottery company managing the process would take between 17-20% of sales revenue.

Cabinet supported the proposal. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)         approve the business case for establishing a society lottery scheme and authorise the interim head of corporate services to determine the operational and management processes for the scheme;

(b)         approve the appointment of Gatherwell Limited as the external lottery manager and authorise the interim head of corporate services to negotiate terms and enter into a contract with Gatherwell Limited;

(c)         authorise the interim head of corporate services and the community enablement service manager to become the licence holders for the scheme on behalf of the council;

(d)         agree the eligibility criteria for groups who can sign up to the lottery, as attached to the business case in the interim head of corporate services’ report to Cabinet on 18 December 2020; and 

(e)         agree that the ongoing licencing and marketing costs be met from the general income received from ticket sales.