Hospice lotto is a winner

CHEERS! A joint celebration for birthday girl Connie Nuttall (front centre) and the hospice lottery (from the left) Joanne Penketh, lottery team leader, and collectors Matthew McCartan from Lord Lane post office, Failsworth, George Cadd and Christine Crossfield

FUNDRAISERS are celebrating the fifth anniversary of a weekly lottery which has netted a massive £667,354 for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice.

The money-spinning idea was launched in a blaze of publicity five years ago to help meet the £4,000 daily running costs of the hospice.

The lottery scheme now has 4,755 members, and besides raising money for the vital service, it has notched up 260 £1,000 winners, and hundreds of £50 winners.

The lottery relies heavily on collectors who have a weekly round, and is planning a joint birthday celebration with one, Connie Nuttall, who is 90 this month.

She is one of more than 40 staunch hospice supporters who are dedicated to collecting £1 a week off lottery members.

Connie, who lives in Royton, collects from friends and neighbours at her weekly bingo evening, while a fellow-collector, Christine Crossfield, runs a syndicate at a sheltered housing scheme in Chadderton.

Lottery team leader Joanne Penketh said : “We have all kinds of people collecting for us, but we are always in need of more.”

For more details of how to become a member, contact the hospice lottery team on 0161-624 9213.