Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex launches new weekly lottery draw with make a smile lottery!

It’s official - there is a new easy & fun way to support Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex! For just £1 per play per week, you can support its fantastic work of providing vital services and support for people with the goal of making life better in later years. Plus, you will have the chance of winning 51 weekly cash prizes ranging from £10 to £1,000, plus a rollover jackpot of £250, which if not won each week rolls over to a massive £10,000!

The team at Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex has teamed up with the lottery experts at make a smile lottery to launch this easy and exciting way to raise funds. Anyone over 16 can play, and by playing on a regular basis, they will be enabling Age Concern to combat social isolation, loneliness and alleviate poverty in the most vulnerable in our society. This has never been more necessary than now.

Their mission is to boost the welfare and quality of life of older people and those who care for them, through advice, alleviating loneliness and social isolation, encouraging active lifestyles and participation and reconnecting to peer groups. In response to COVID-19 the charity has established a call centre team who can provide practical guidance for those struggling with food, medical supplies, or unmet care needs in their home. As well as supporting those living with dementia and offering help and advice with applying for welfare benefits, they work in partnership with St Helena’s professional counselling service for those with a deeper need to work through grief.

Simon Prestney, CEO of Age Concern is quoted as saying “Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex is a trusted brand and we are delighted to further our partnership with St Helena through the lottery. Every £1 invested in Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex is converted into £8.55 of social good so every £1 raised on the lottery can go even further for those who play investing into benefitting the local community. We are raising funds to combat loneliness and we aim to reach 12,700 people across North East Essex.”

Gemma Zweck, Lottery Business Manager at make a smile lottery commented: “We are delighted to be welcoming Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex into our weekly lottery draw. We have 19 years’ experience of running a successful lottery operation for charities nationally and are extremely blessed to have the opportunity to expand and work with this much-loved local charity.”

She went onto say “The fact that we are owned and operated by a hospice, means that all proceeds of our lottery go back into the charity sector.”

Supporters can join the lottery now in support of Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex in one of the following ways:

Call the make a smile lottery team on 0300 303 4500

or

Visit www.makeasmilelottery.org.uk

Gift memberships available from £10, plus lottery wedding favours - a great way to support Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex at your wedding or special occasion!

The first draw for Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex will be held on Friday 17^th July. Don’t forget to check your results weekly at www.makeasmilelottery.org.uk

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For further press information contact:
Amanda Georgeson, Marketing Lead, Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex
amanda.georgeson@ageconcerncolchester.org.uk
07812 344061

To find out more about Age Concern Colchester and North East Essex, please visit
www.ageconcerncolchester.org.uk/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/colchesterageconcern/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AgeColchester

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/age-concern-colchester-essex/

Notes to editors

About Age Concern Colchester and North East Essex:

Age Concern Colchester and North East Essex was formerly known as Age UK Colchester and before that Age Concern Colchester and is a local independent charitable company limited by guarantee providing services and support for older people in the Colchester area.

Age Concern’s mission is to “Make Life Better in Later Years” and we do this through boosting health, wellbeing and quality of life of residents of North East Essex – and those who care for them, through advice, information, knowledge and where appropriate, resources.

COVID-19 Update:

A new community support team can provide practical guidance for those who are struggling with food, access to prescriptions and who have unmet care needs in their home. Call COVID-19 Support on 01206 368420 option 1 or email: communitycare@ageconcerncolchester.org.uk

Bereavement support during Covid-19:

We recognise your need for support at this time when lots of services are not running normally. (At this time when wakes and funerals are unable to proceed as normal) the Age Concern team can offer bereavement support. Call 01206368420 option 2 for support or email: bereavement@ageconcerncolchester.org.uk

Befriending during Covid-19:

Befrienders have moved to a telephone service during the pandemic, in order to support those who are lonely, scared and having to self-isolate.

Call 01206368420 option 3 to help or email befriending@ageconcerncolchester.org.uk

Welfare and Financial Support

Our busy Advice team provide practical support on completing often complex forms. Helping people to overcome the barriers they face as a result of low incomes or ill health our practical support can lead to an improved standard of living helping people to maintain independence and choice within their lives. Call for Support on 01206 368420 option 4 or email: advice@ageconcerncolchester.org.uk

Dementia Helpline

At a time when everyone is focused on COVID-19 there is a little focus on the highest mortality rate being for over 70’s who have a form of Dementia being the highest affected grouping in Wales and England. Do not be alone, call our support line to be connected to the help you need. This line is supported by the local NHS.

Call for support on 01206 368420 option 5 or dementia@ageconcerncolchester.org.uk

Registered Charity Number 1142414 Registered Company Number 7517777.

About make a smile lottery

make a smile lottery exists only to raise funds for local charities, is owned and run by St Helena Hospice who receives a small income towards hospice care from each membership for administering the lottery. It costs just £1 per week to play and lottery members are making a difference to people in their local community who benefit from the fantastic local causes that make a smile lottery supports. By working with local causes in this way rather than setting up their own lotteries, overheads and costs are kept to a minimum so more funds can be used for charitable purposes. Members choose which local cause they wish to support with their membership. After running costs and the prize fund are taken out, the rest of every £1 goes directly to support your chosen cause and the fantastic work they do in the community. A team of fundraisers representing make a smile lottery, ask members of the community to play the lottery in support of their chosen charity, and they are paid to do so from a small budget specifically allocated for this purpose. Make a smile lottery is regulated and licensed by the Gambling Commission (number 000-004685-N-306842-006) under the Gambling Act 2005. Lottery members must be 16 or over and a full set of terms and conditions are available online at www.makeasmilelottery.org.uk or from the make a smile lottery office by telephone 0300 303 4500