Mental health charity benefitting from community lottery
Published: 1 March 2024
An organisation that helps to improve men’s mental health is using money raised from a community lottery scheme to help raise awareness of what they do.
Alright Mate? CIC is an award-winning arts organisation who organise creative and social events in and around Exeter to help normalise conversations about male mental health and reduce the risk of suicide.
The organisation signed up to Exeter Community Lottery last October. It is now one of around 100 good causes in the city that are now receiving much needed funds from ticket sales.
When people play the weekly Lottery they have a chance to choose which good cause to support. Fifty pence in every pound then goes to that cause, with 10p going towards the Exeter Central Fund. The rest of the money pays for prizes and the administration of the lottery. At the moment good causes are set to benefit from around £48,000 in total over the first 12 months.
Players of the lottery can also choose to nominate the money to a central fund which then gets distributed among good causes that are signed up.
Cally Hayes, Director of Alright Mate?, said: “As a young organisation, we have been working towards becoming more sustainable and exploring all funding streams so that we are less reliant on grant funding.
“We have seen from our fundraising events that they provide an introduction for people to find out about Alright Mate? and get involved.”
Alright Mate? put on social events and quiz nights in pubs and other venues where men can talk, share stories, challenges and forge new connections.
Cally added: “The Community Lottery provides additional funds so that we can continue to run more events in Exeter. We are really appreciative of everyone who supports Alright Mate? by buying a lottery ticket.
“The money will enable us to run more events in local pubs using wet plate photography and cyanotype printing to offer a space where men can talk, share stories, challenges and forge new connections.”