Lottery funding hospice to tune of £7m hits 25th year
A CHARITY initiative that has raised more than £7 million for a Derbyshire hospice is celebrating its 25th birthday.
The Treetops Hospice Lottery, which began in September 1996 with just 432 members, has raised £7.4 million since it began and, during 2020 – one of the most difficult years for the hospice financially, due to coronavirus – the lottery generated £688,000 of income.
Linda, from Sandiacre, has played the Treetops Lottery for many years.
She said: “I would encourage anyone to sign up to the Lottery. Yes, you might win but the main thing is you know you are contributing to a lohotel, cal charity. You can see where your money is going and how it helps people in your community.
“I’ve referred many volunteers to Treetops since it first opened over thirty years ago in my volunteer manager role at Erewash Volunteer Centre.
“Now recently retired, I am volunteering myself in the Treetops charity shop in Sandiacre and loving it.
“I will support the organisation in any way I can. It has been invaluable to so many people and long may that continue!”
The Treetops Lottery is a weekly local hospice prize draw which gives players the chance to win up to £10,000.
All proceeds help to support the hospice in providing free nursing care and emotional support for adults with lifelimiting illnesses and those who’ve been bereaved.
Rebecca Lee-jones, Treetops’ Lottery manager, said: “The Treetops Lottery is a weekly charity prize draw, where entrants pay just £1.
“For us, it provides a vital source of funding so that we can continue providing essential services to the people of Derby, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
“We’d like to thank all of our supporters over the last 25 years – and look forward to celebrating many more years to come.”