The Covid-19 pandemic has created huge problems for fundraising across Kent’s charity sector, but The Kent Autistic Trust is hoping a boost in membership to its weekly lottery will raise much-needed income for their Family Support service.
The Kent Autistic Trust provides support services for autistic adults and their families within various community settings across the county.
The Trust’s Unity Weekly Lottery offers players across Kent the chance to win up to £25,000. With a prize draw every Friday, members pay as little as £1 per week to gain the chance to win prizes of £25,000, £1,000, £25 and 5 free entries into the next draw. The charity lottery has so far attracted 400 members.
Since it was launched a year ago, the Unity Weekly Lottery has helped The Kent Autistic Trust to fund its family support service, which reaches out to more than 5,000 people on the autistic spectrum and their families across Kent each year. The charity needs to raise a minimum of £117,000 every year to ensure it can continue to deliver this much-needed free service.
Serita Boxall, Fundraising and Marketing Manager at The Kent Autistic Trust, said: “It’s been a really difficult period, but all of the staff have worked hard to keep spirits high and keep everyone positive, happy and safe.
“Unfortunately, the Covid-19 lockdown and restrictions have had a dramatic impact on our ability to fundraise, so we are hoping that other initiatives can make up some of the short fall.
“The Weekly Lottery is a fun and engaging way people can get involved in supporting the charity from the safety of their home, and with 50p of every £1 spent donated directly to the Trust it makes a real difference to the work we do with so many families and people on the autistic spectrum.”
Nicola August, Partner and Head of Furley Page’s Vulnerable Client Team, is a joint Chair of the Kent Autistic Trust.
Nicola said: “The Kent Autistic Trust does vital work supporting people on the autism spectrum and their families. The Covid-19 restrictions have had a profound impact on many of those whom the Trust supports, and the team has had to develop new ideas and activities in order to carry on with its valuable work in the community.
“The restrictions have also affected the way that the charity can fundraise. The weekly lottery is an innovative way for people to support the Trust during this difficult time, and gain the chance to win £25,000!”
To join The Kent Autistic Trust’s weekly lottery, please visit https://www.kentautistictrust.org/weekly-lottery