A charity lottery with a difference
The Health Lottery was founded with a very specific aim – to raise funds through people like you playing our games to help tackle health inequality in Great Britain. The Good Causes we help to fund together all do this, providing vital services at the local level, and delivering against one or more of our Six Pillars.
These pillars are at the core of our funding values, each helping to make a real difference in people’s lives: Getting creative, Helping minds, Getting active, Building communities, Supporting disability and Tackling loneliness.
Getting creative
Having space to be creative is hugely important. Creative expression allows us to broaden our perspectives and practice problem-solving in new ways. It is also a great way to build confidence and decompress from stressful situations. Having a community space to meet people with similar interests and share creative outlets can be transformative.
Over the years a wide range of projects have been funded that bring people together through different creative outlets. From South Street Kids using music to help teenagers express emotions, to Face Front, a drama group for adults with disabilities, and Eloquent Fold using regular craft meetings among women over 50 in Northamptonshire to build connections and promote a real sense of joy.
Helping minds
Good mental health is important for helping us cope with what life throws at us. But from time to time, we could all do with a bit of extra support or someone to talk to. That’s where the projects we’ve helped to fund come in.
Whether that’s Mind The Gap providing studios so people battling mental health issues can use music to help them recover or Take The Reins helping teenage anxiety and other conditions through spending time with horses.
The Health Lottery and players like you are championing mental health and providing the support people need all over Britain.
Getting active
We all know that keeping active is great not only for our bodies but for our minds too, that’s why we’re dedicated to funding initiatives that do just that!
The fully funded projects offer a wide range of activities designed to get bodies moving and bring local communities together. The charities and organisations we support with your help don’t just offer great sports activities like Khalsa Youth Football Academy. They can also provide opportunities for things like horse riding and sailing which most of us don't normally have access to.
Building communities
Being part of a community can have a positive impact on mental health, making us feel connected to others and that we’re part of something larger. Having other people that we relate to and can share things with helps to combat loneliness and is important for those who would otherwise feel isolated. This has always been important, but is even more so after multiple Covid-19 lockdowns.
The initiatives we’ve helped have brought communities together through activities for children with hidden impairments at WHISH in Whitstable, yoga and crafts at the local library in rural Wales, and even a locally run newspaper, The Blingham Blether!
Supporting disability
Local support for people living with disabilities and their families can be a lifeline. Helping to counter isolation, boost mental health and provide much-needed community.
To date, projects including Finding Your Feet, that provides support to Scottish amputees and the proudly neurodiverse Hounslow Lions football team have been funded through The Health Lottery, amongst many others.
This year we want to continue this support across our 12 regions with the help of players like you!
Tackling loneliness
Many of the charities that receive funding through The Health Lottery work to tackle loneliness in the local communities they serve. Loneliness can have a huge impact on mental health including increasing the risk of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
We’re proud to support projects like Give A Dog A Bone, that helps lonely seniors spend time with friendly dog companions in multiple drop-in centres in Scotland and Mums Social, a group in Merseyside meeting up for regular walks offering fitness and a safe environment for new mums to chat.
How you can help local charities
Our 12 regions cover the whole of Britain, from Scotland to the South East, Wales to Yorkshire and Humber and everywhere in between. During 2024 we’ll be continuing to support fantastic local charities in all these regions, but we can’t do it without the help of generous players like you.
Every time you play one of our lottery games, not only do you contribute to the funding pot, but you’re also in with a chance to win some life-changing money for you and your loved ones to enjoy!
