Telford charity aims to ‘bridge’ gap with lottery launch
A charity is aiming to ‘bridge’ the gap in its £1m fundraising campaign with the launch of a new lottery.
The monthly draw has been inspired by the world’s longest span model bridge made from 205,000 Lego bricks in a collaboration between the Institute of Civil Engineers, Bright Bricks and Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust (IGMT) and is currently on display at Enginuity in Coalbrookdale.
Fundraisers at IGMT have set a target of selling 205,000 lottery tickets, one for each brick, at £1 each over a 12-month period to bolster its Fund for the Future campaign.
The goal of Fund for the Future is to raise £1m by a 2021 deadline to obtain match-funding in the form of a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund through money raised by people playing the National Lottery.
All money raised from the campaign will be used to secure the heritage and buildings of Coalbrookdale for future generations.
That’s a Lotto Bricks is the latest fundraising idea by IGMT and will run alongside its 1,000 Builders Campaign, calling on businesses, groups and other organisations to pledge £1,000 to the cause, and its regular business bridge networking meetings where businesses get regular updates about the progress of the campaign.
Vital
Adam Siviter, IGMT fundraising manager, said: “The model bridge has sparked a lot of interest and proved to be quite an attraction, giving us the idea of marrying up the number of bricks with cash to go towards Fund for the Future.
“One pound per ticket is excellent value when you consider the prizes which have been donated up until next July and it’s all in the name of a great cause – our Fund for the Future.
“Money raised will help fund our work in education and heritage conservation and is vital in keeping the history of Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale alive for future generations.
“By buying a ticket for the monthly draw people will be helping us preserve our rich history and inspire engineers of the future.
“Prizes during the coming months include family tickets to a Victorian Christmas at Blists Hill, Christmas lunch for two in our furnace kitchen, other prizes of lunch for two and brunch for two, family passport tickets to our museums and two tickets to ladies day next September.
“There are some great prizes and can be had for just £1 with all those people who play our lottery knowing they are playing a major role in helping us achieve our fundraising goal.”
To play the lottery, visit tickets.ironbridge.org.uk/webstore/shop/viewItems.aspx?cg=Fundraising&c=Lotto
For more about Fund for the Future, visit ironbridge.org.uk/our-story/support-us/fund-for-the-future/
To find out more about becoming one of the 1,000 builders, click here
