Agenda item

Purpose of Report

To provide the Executive with an update on progress with implementation plans for the Lincoln Community Lottery.

Decision

That the Executive:

(1)          Approves the criteria for accepting good causes into the lottery scheme, including the six mile radius coverage as per Appendices A, B and C.

(2)          Approves the polices and terms that support the effective introduction of the new Lincoln Community Lottery as per Appendices D to L.

(3)          Approves a member selection panel of two members, consisting of the Portfolio Holder for Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion and the Chair of the Audit Committee and supported by officers, which will meet to consider and agreed the good causes accepted onto the lottery.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

Further to Executive approval on 8 January 2018, a project team had been set up and was operational with weekly meetings in place. The following actions had been undertaken:

·         Gatherwell had been appointed as the External Lottery Manager on a two year contract, with the contract in the process of being drawn up by the Project Manager, Procurement and Legal Services;

·         the launch event for good causes would be held on 5 June 2018;

·         the live website would be available to the public the week commencing 2 July 2018;

·         the first lottery draw would take place on 11 August 2018;

·         the application for a gambling licence had been completed, with two named responsible officer posts being the Financial Services Manager and the Legal and Democratic Services Manager having submitted their personal declarations;

·         a communications plan was in place covering inception to launch, including a new logo designed specifically for the lottery website.

Consideration was given to how the participating good causes were determined and how centred geographically they were to the city. The more purchasers the lottery attracted the larger the central fund would be which meant that more grant funding could be offered. Suggestions for good causes criteria were set out in Appendix A and had been adapted from other local authority lotteries, which had identified a high level of consistency. With regard to the boundary, options were included in the report as follows:

·         a Lincoln boundary, including only those causes operating from within a Lincoln postcode. This would be extremely restrictive and exclude many areas whose residents probably considered that they lived in Lincoln, such as North Hykeham for example;

·         a one mile boundary. This would include some of the additional settlements but would not capture all of North Hykeham, Bracebridge Heath or similar areas;

·         a six mile boundary. This would include all of the local villages.

Maps of the proposed boundaries were attached to the report at Appendices B and C.

It was considered that the six mile boundary option would provide more people with an opportunity to participate, thereby increasing the amount of money available for good causes. Clarification was provided that the six mile boundary was from the Stonebow in the centre of Lincoln, as set out in Appendix C.

Members were content with the proposal for the Portfolio Holder for Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion and the Chair of the Audit Committee to form a member selection panel, which would agree the good causes accepted onto the lottery. It was noted that this panel would be supported by officers.

The Lincoln Community Lottery update had been considered by the Policy Scrutiny Committee on 20 March 2018 and an extract from the draft minutes of that meeting was circulated.