Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Culture, Leisure and Tourism.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve:

(1)   the establishment of a local community lottery for Exeter;

(2)   for the Director of Culture, Leisure and Tourism, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Homelessness Prevention to contract an ‘External Lottery Manager’ to deliver the scheme on the Council’s behalf;

(3)   the distribution of any proceeds through the Exeter Grants Programme; and

(4)   the Council joining the the Lotteries Council in order to deliver the lottery through best practice and access free membership services on legal and compliance issues.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report which sought approval to establish a community lottery for Exeter, with the proceeds to be distributed by the Exeter Grants Programme and to provide support to the city’s voluntary sector. Since 2015 more than 110 other Local Authorities had also setup or were in the process of setting up local lotteries to support good causes in their areas. The proposal would enable officers to engage an External Lottery Manager (ELM), to enable the Council and other city societies to raise funds for their own corporate strategic priorities.

Councillor D. Moore, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item. She referred to the proposal as an interesting idea which had been first referenced within the Commercialisation Strategy and enquired how much money would be contributed to the Council. She stated that the Equality Impact Assessment had not referenced faith groups who played an important part in community life and some were opposed to the principle of lotteries.  

Councillor Jobson, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item and questioned whether the scheme was appropriate at this time and sought assurance that there would be safeguards in place.

During the discussion the following points were made:-

·        the subject would be discussed at Council and would be run as a professionally run lottery which would support the community and voluntary sectors;

·        the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Homelessness Prevention would be pleased to share the research undertaken with the opposition leaders, which had moved the project forward and would help to inform the Council debate;

·        other local authorities had been able to set up community lotteries since legislation was passed in 2007 and there were now over 100 local authorities licensed to run lotteries by the Gambling Commission and regulated under the Gambling Act 2005;

·        it would be a sustainable way of supporting communities and enabling causes to help themselves with the local authority facilitating this by holding the operating licence; and

·        it could benefit smaller organisations who did not possess the resources to seek support from funding sources.

In response to the questions raised, the Director for Culture, Leisure and Tourism advised that:-

·        the report had followed on from the Commercialisation paper, and had been brought forward as a separate initiative; and

·        the Council already provided significant financial support to the Exeter voluntary and community sector through its Exeter Community Grants programme and this and other initiatives could be drawn upon by those groups opposing the lottery principle.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve:

(1)   the establishment of a local community lottery for Exeter;

(2)   for the Director of Culture, Leisure and Tourism, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Homelessness Prevention to contract an ‘External Lottery Manager’ to deliver the scheme on the Council’s behalf;

(3)   the distribution of any proceeds through the Exeter Grants Programme; and

(4)   the Council joining the Lotteries Council in order to deliver the lottery through best practice and access free membership services on legal and compliance issues.