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For the first time ever, tickets for Jersey Hospice Care's Million Pound Lottery are available online from today, with sale points soon to open, if virus restrictions allow.
The lottery is Hospice’s single biggest annual fundraising event, bringing in £800,000 a year, while giving £1.3m worth of prizes back to the community.
To adapt to the current restrictions imposed by the corona virus pandemic, and in a bid to make the lottery accessible to as many islanders as possible, the Charity has partnered with WebReality, Jersey Post and CityPay to develop a secure platform enabling islanders to purchase their tickets online.
Those who purchased a ticket in 2019 are already pre-age verified and the website integrates YOTI - the Government of Jersey approved digital ID platform - for age verification of all other purchasers.
Pictured: De Gruchy will soon be selling the tickets as well.
Once restrictions have been eased, players will still be able to buy their tickets from Hospice volunteers in the usual sale points like de Gruchy.
Those who purchased their tickets before midnight on 30 June will be automatically entered into the ‘Early Bird’ draw with the chance to win a £1,000 de Gruchy gift card.
Pictured: The lottery is Hospice’s single biggest annual fundraising event.
“It’s always our pleasure and privilege to be the key venue in town for the sale of Hospice’s Million Pound Lottery tickets and to be supporting the Lottery with the Early Bird prize again," John Marquis, General Manager at de Gruchy, said.
"It’s incredible to see how Hospice has adapted this year to embrace easy to use technology to ensure the Lottery can go ahead. We look forward to continuing to support Hospice by selling tickets in store in due course”.
With Jersey Hospice's fundraising events having been cancelled due to the pandemic, the lottery will be even more important this year.
The revenue will be "vital" to ensuring Hospice can continue to provide all of its services, free of charge, which costs £20,200 a day.
Pictured: Emelita Robbins, Chief Executive at Jersey Hospice Care.
“The Million Pound Lottery is more important than ever in 2020 to Hospice, which is why we have stepped up our game to meet the challenges of this ‘new age’ as best we can through technology," Emelita Robbins, Chief Executive at Jersey Hospice Care, said.
"Our brand new #GiveALittleGetALot campaign highlights why people support Hospice through the Lottery each year, and for that we are so very grateful.
"Some people give something back in recognition of the care a loved one has received; others buy a ticket as their annual donation to the charity; some people choose to invest in Hospice as they know that one day they may need the care we offer; and others buy a ticket simply because they can support Hospice while having fun thinking about how they would spend £1m.
Pictured: The draw will take place on 16 October.
"Whatever the reason, whether it’s a simple act of generosity or altruism, they all get a lot out of supporting our Hospice personally and in turn it enables us to continue to provide the highest quality palliative care here in Jersey for our local community. It’s one of my favourite fundraisers because it gives back to the community that supports Hospice, the same community we care for.”
With just 7000 tickets available for £300 each, the odds of winning the £1m prize or one of nine other runners up prizes worth a total of £300,000 is significantly higher than most lotteries, the charity said.
Hospice is expecting to see some new syndicates emerge this year. Instead of office groups, the Zoom, Teams and WhatsApp groups that have emerged as groups of colleagues or friends and family now get together online, are expected to play a big part as they create their syndicates digitally in 2020.
The live draw will take place on Friday 16 October 2020 at the Royal Yacht Hotel from 17:30
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