Raffles, lotteries and draws
There are two kinds of lotteries (which
include raffles and draws) that are likely to be suitable for
fundraising in guiding:
Small lotteries at exempt
entertainments
Those which are purely incidental to an event,
such as a bazaar or fete. In that case, tickets can only be
sold at the event itself, the draw must be made and the prizes
presented during the course of the event, and no prizes may be in
the form of money.
Private
lotteries
Those which are not run in connection with,
and at, a particular event. In this case, the Unit or area
concerned must be registered for the purpose with the Local
Authority at an annual fee. The "promoter" must be a member of the
Unit or area and authorised in writing by the relevant
Commissioner. Certain other conditions must also be
met;
- the whole of the proceeds must go to directly to guiding after
deduction only of reasonable expenses (expenses actually incurred
not exceeding 35% of the total proceeds) and the cost of prizes
(not more than 55% of the total of the proceeds) subject to an
overall combined limit of 80% of the proceeds.
- all tickets must be the same price which must not exceed £1,
and the total value of all tickets sold must not exceed
£20,000
- every ticket must state the name of the Unit or Area, the name
and address of the promoter, the name of the Local Authority
authorising the lottery, the date of the draw and the price of the
ticket
- all tickets must be paid for before the draw and in no
circumstances may money be refunded
- the maximum value of any one prize must not exceed £25,000
- no ticket may be sold by, or to anyone under the age of 16
- within three months of the draw, a return must be made to the
Local Authority with a full statement of account and other
details
- no advertisement of the lottery, apart from what appears on the
Unit's notice board, may be exhibited
- no ticket may be sent by post to anyone who is not a member of
the Unit
Prizes
Care must be taken to ensure that prizes
offered to participants are suitable. Girlguiding UK has no
policy on whether or not alcohol is a suitable prize. Some
Police Authorities have a view that offering alcohol as a prize
without a Justice's Licence is an offence, and it may be prudent to
confirm the position with the local Police. There is no restriction
on offering home made foods or toys but in either instance
reasonable steps should be taken to see that they are safe.
Useful websites
For more information and advice visit:
Institute of Fundraising: http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/Codes_and_regulation
Lotteries Council: http://lotteriescouncil.org.uk/
Gambling Commission: www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk