Hospice lottery celebrates silver anniversary

Nightingale House began its hospice lottery 25 years ago and now has 15,000 members, making it the biggest source of income for the hospice.

Last year raised over £500,000 of vital funds, and organisers say the income is now more important than ever.

The hospice, based in Wrexham, has patients from across the region including the Oswestry and Whitchurch areas.

Laura Parry, Head of Income Generation said: "Lockdown meant the closure of the hospice shops and cafés and our traditional ways of fundraising have not been possible. The revenue generated by the lottery continues to be a lifeline and a vital source of regular income.

"That lottery income is enough to run the hospice for 58 days. That’s fifty-eight days of providing services such as In-patients, Day Services, Rehabilitation and Family Support.

“As well as being such an important part of the hospice’s history, the lottery is going to be an integral part of hospice’s long-term future. We want to be able to plan for the next 25 years, and to do that we need to build the lottery to ensure that we can continue providing specialist palliative care services for more patients and their families in the years ahead.

She said that joining the lottery was one of the easiest ways to support the hospice.

"Each week you could be in with a chance of winning the jackpot prize of £2,500. Your £1 a week could do so much. One new member who plays the lottery for one year could pay for a child bereavement session. Two new members could pay for small Christmas gifts for our patients and three new members could pay for a day of music therapy. Your support really can make a difference.”

Helen Price recently won our weekly jackpot prize of £2,500. she said: “I’m a Nurse at a Wrexham GP Practice, I’m aware of the hospice and how important it is. I joined the lottery in 2015 as it was a great way of being able to offer my support. In 2018, my Mum became a patient, and I am so very grateful for all the wonderful care that she received. I’m so glad that the Hospice is there to do what it does, and to offer such amazing support to patients and their families.

I’m delighted to win. We moved house during the pandemic, so there are numerous projects that the winnings could go towards, but with a husband and 3 children, suggestions so far have included sheds, saxophones and pet tarantulas.”

If you’d like the chance to be a Nightingale House lottery winner and support your local hospice, you can join the lottery at nightingalehouse.co.uk/join-our-lottery/