THE new Forest Lottery will soon be live, with the first weekly draw taking place next month and a possible top prize of £25,000.

Set up by the Forest of Dean District Council, it will be open to everyone aged 16 and over in a bid to raise money for charities and good causes in the area.

The first draw will be on Saturday, December 14, and it costs £1 per game to play.

The council’s aim is to raise funds to provide a sustainable funding stream for good causes that will help them continue their good work in the future, and winners could bag up to £25,000 as part of the new regular weekly draw.   

Cllr Paul Hiett, cabinet member for Communities, said: “The Forest Lottery is a really exciting initiative.

“It marks a great opportunity for local community groups, with potential for ticket sales to make a real, sustainable financial impact on their funding for various community projects. 

“Whilst this is a fantastic and fun opportunity for everyone, we of course want to remind everyone to gamble responsibly.”

Sixty per cent of the money raised will go to good causes, with 50p from each ticket going directly to a cause chosen by each entrant.

Ten pence will be allocated to a central fund administered by the council to support voluntary and community sector funding.

If a Lottery player does not nominate a specific good cause, then their proceeds will be placed towards the council’s central community grants fund.

The rest of the mo-ney will go towards an external lottery manager who will run the game, and VAT. 

Players will also be able to set up a monthly payment in advance with the option of a three, six or 12-month repeating subscription by direct debit or payment card. 

Winners will be informed via email and will have the money transferred automatically to their chosen bank account.

Ticket sales for the first draw on December 14 went live last Friday (November 15).

To enter or for more information, go to www.forestlottery.co.uk