St Albans District Community Lottery is celebrating its second anniversary this month, having sold 80,000 tickets and raised £40,000 for 40 local organisations.

Set up by St Albans City and District Council, this online lottery offers a fundraising opportunity for charities and community groups.

Since April 2022, more than 700 players have bought tickets and shared among them more than £10,000 in winnings.

Each ticket costs £1 with 50p donated to a good cause of the player’s choice, while an additional 10p supports the Council’s Community Grants Fund, benefitting community projects and services.

A total of 40 good causes have embraced the lottery, encouraging supporters to buy tickets.

The draw offers cash prizes ranging from £25 to a £25,000 jackpot, in addition to three free tickets.

Community beneficiaries include mental health and wellbeing initiatives, sports and recreational clubs, educational services, and local community centres.

Among them is the St Albans-based Trestle Theatre Company.

Creative project manager at the theatre company, Karene Horner-Hughes said: "The funding from the District Lottery has allowed us to continue to support our local community in ensuring Trestle School of Drama is accessible to all.

"Our mission is to enable anyone who is passionate about drama to find a fun and friendly place to create and share theatre.

"Participating in the lottery has enabled us to create bursary places for those in need, enabling more young people to access our work."

Other organisations benefitting from the lottery include Harpenden Colts FC, Redbourn Community Group, St Albans Action for Homeless, and Sopwell Residents Association.

The council's strategic director for community and place delivery, Chris Traill, said: "It is hugely impressive that the lottery has raised £40,000 already.

"It has made a significant impact in the community, enabling dozens of our good local causes to find a new source of funding for their projects and activities.

"There is, of course, considerable scope for it to grow further and I urge other good causes across the District to sign up to the lottery and encourage their supporters to buy tickets."