A New Opportunity for Local Support: Wiltshire Community Lottery

Across Wiltshire, community groups like ours are facing growing challenges — and increasing demand for support.

Recent findings from the Wiltshire State of the Sector Survey highlight a difficult reality:

• 58% of organisations say funding is a major challenge
• 67% are seeing rising demand for their services
• 57.5% are struggling with increasing costs

For groups supporting mental health, neurodiversity, and social connection — like the Trowbridge Service Users Group — these pressures are not just statistics. They are part of everyday life.

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💬 Why This Matters to Our Community

We know firsthand how vital safe, supportive spaces are. Whether it’s tackling isolation, navigating social care gaps, or simply having somewhere to belong — community groups are often the first and last line of support.

But there’s a problem:
👉 Funding is often short-term, restricted, and uncertain.

As one organisation put it:

“Funding is our biggest challenge… we are all essentially putting more hours in than we are paid for. It’s exhausting.”

This is where new ideas — and new funding models — become essential.

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🎟️ What Is the Wiltshire Community Lottery?

The Wiltshire Community Lottery is a new initiative designed to create sustainable, unrestricted funding for local good causes.

It’s simple:

• Tickets cost £1 per week
• Players choose a local cause to support
• A weekly draw takes place every Saturday
• The more tickets sold, the more funding goes directly to community groups

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💡 How It Supports Groups Like Ours

What makes this different from traditional funding?

✔ Regular income – not one-off grants
✔ Unrestricted funding – we decide how to use it
✔ Community-led – supporters choose us directly

In fact:

• 60% of every ticket goes to good causes
• 50% goes directly to the chosen group
• An additional 10% supports a central community fund

This means every ticket helps build stronger, more resilient local services. Support us here https://www.wiltshirecommunitylottery.co.uk/support/trowbridge-service-users-group

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🤝 Why This Could Be a Game-Changer

Community lotteries have already shown real impact elsewhere. Similar schemes have:

• Supported hundreds of local groups
• Raised significant long-term funding
• Helped organisations launch new support services

For groups like ours, this could mean:

• More consistent meetups
• Better mental health support
• Reduced isolation for local people
• Stronger peer-led communities

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🚀 Getting Involved

Joining is straightforward:

• Apply online
• Get approved by Wiltshire Council
• Receive your own fundraising page
• Start promoting to supporters

Funds raised are paid monthly directly to your organisation, making it a reliable income stream.

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✨ Final Thoughts

For the Trowbridge Service Users Group, this represents more than funding — it’s an opportunity to grow, sustain, and reach more people who need support.

Because when communities invest in themselves, everyone benefits.