National Lottery operator, Allwyn, has thanked Scotland’s independent retailers for playing their part in raising billions for National Lottery Good Causes.
By selling lottery tickets over the past 30 years, retailers in Scotland have helped to raise over £4.1bn for Scottish causes, which has been distributed to more than 81,000 projects in the country since 1994. This includes £43m to the Kelpies and Helix in Falkirk, £15m to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and £19.1m in funding to the V&A Dundee Scotland, as well as funding to vital grassroots projects in every postcode district.
Allwyn Chair, Justin King CBE, was joined by CEO of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, Dr Pete Cheema OBE; Allwyn’s Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford; and Londis retailers Natalie and Martin Lightfoot, at a breakfast at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, part of National Museums Scotland which have benefited from £38m of National Lottery funding.
King thanked retailers for their help in raising huge sums for National Lottery Good Causes. He said Allwyn planned to increase returns to Good Causes by highlighting the role that buying a ticket plays in funding local Good Cause projects.
He added that The National Lottery was a proven driver of increased footfall in stores – increasing further during special jackpot draws – and that most players claim their winnings in the same store they buy their tickets from and are likely to reinvest some of the winnings in stores, for example on wider groceries available in the store.
During the breakfast event, which took place last week, King said: “We’re here today to celebrate business in Scotland and the independent shopkeepers who are such an important part of our high streets. Retail is at the heart of our plans to transform The National Lottery over the next 10 years and, with over 4,800 retailers selling The National Lottery in Scotland, we’re grateful for their ongoing support. Among all the other positive things they do for our local areas, I’d also like to thank them for the role they play in raising money for National Lottery Good Causes by selling tickets. They help make projects like the Kelpies and the V&A Scotland possible, as well as countless grassroots projects that make local communities in Scotland better.”
Acquaye-Acford said: “Today is about the independent retailers who make our high streets great and the important role they’re playing in helping Allwyn restore the magic to The National Lottery. As the backbone of The National Lottery, we are wholeheartedly grateful for everything our retail partners in Scotland are doing to support our transformation plans while helping to raise £30m every week for Good Causes by selling tickets.”
Cheema said: “It’s remarkable to reflect on the past three decades and all our fantastic achievements, working hand in hand to deliver for our communities. Together, The National Lottery and convenience retailers across Scotland help provide a ‘full basket’ for their customers and offer the opportunity for shoppers to give a little back to Good Causes, support their local store, and potentially win big. I am very proud of the role the Scottish convenience sector has played in supporting that, and it is exciting to see what the future holds next for the National Lottery.” 
Also attending the breakfast event were National Lottery retailers, Natalie and Martin Lightfoot, who were crowned national winners at Allwyn’s first ever Local Retail Champions awards in December.
Allwyn awarded Natalie and Martin with a £5,000 cash prize and a £20,000 Social Value store makeover, which has begun with the installation of six new colleague headsets to improve security at the store, as well as new CCTV equipment.
Allwyn spent two days in Scotland celebrating The National Lottery’s 30th Birthday. During the visit, King repeated Allwyn’s pledge to double weekly returns to National Lottery Good Causes from £30m to £60m per week by the end of the 10-year licence in 2034.
