The guaranteed first prize in this year's Channel Islands Christmas Lottery has now risen to £905,000.
As in previous years the guaranteed first prize will continue to rise as additional ticket sales volumes rise across the Channel Islands. Instant cash prizes from £2-5,000 are also incorporated into the draw and can be redeemed by islanders who reveal a Santa Claus in the scratch area.
Malcolm Woodhams, the Chairman of the Association of Guernsey Charities, said, "Each year the Christmas Lottery raises large amounts of money to help local projects and good causes and we know that charities throughout the Channel Islands are extremely grateful to everyone who supports the traditional Christmas draw. The proceeds from tickets sold in Guernsey for last year's lottery enabled us to distribute over £212,000 to 34 local charities - each of which is using their grant to help provide much needed services and facilities to the island. With just over two weeks until this year's draw it's clear that, once again, the Christmas Lottery is proving extremely popular, with many people buying tickets in the hope of winning some cash in time for Christmas. At the same time, every ticket sold is going to help us provide funding to a wide range of local organisations."
We know that each year many businesses and groups like to organise syndicates as we enter the festive period and approach the draw date. Each block of 50 tickets has a guaranteed win of at least £22, and they can be purchased by contacting Sport & Recreation Services on 709714.
Local charities are also reminded that they can now start applying to receive a grant from the lottery. The process, which is run by the Association of Guernsey Charities, helps to fund many local good causes and projects, with more than 80 organisations benefitting over the past 5 years.
Further details on applying for lottery grants, together with the application form, are available on the AGC website - www.charity.org.gg. Charities will need to send details of their proposed projects, together with a full set of accounts. Applications must be received prior to 31 January.
The draw will take place in Jersey on Tuesday 19th December 2017.
You can sign up to receive an email or text message detailing future prize updates as well as the winning numbers on the day of the draw through https://my.gov.gg/.