Allwyn has launched a UK-wide search for ‘Local Retail Champions’ to reward its National Lottery retailers for their role in communities.

Members of the public will be asked to nominate a Lottery retailer who has gone ‘above and beyond’ to support their local community. Retailers voted for may sponsor local clubs, accommodate wheelchair users or organise community sessions to help out in the area.

The prizes available are: a cash prize of £5,000 and a social value store makeover (a makeover to improve the benefit the store’s customers, community or environment) worth £20,000 (both prizes for two individual retailers); a cash prize of £5,000 for 16 individual retailers; and a £100 cash prize for a further 100 runners-up.

The makeover for improving the winning stores’ ‘social value’ could include energy efficient fixtures, lessons for staff who want to use sign language, or a refurbished space designed for community use.   

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Allwyn’s chief executive officer Andria Vidler said: “Retailers are the heart and soul of their communities. By selling tickets, we have more than 40,000 National Lottery retail partners helping us to raise an average of over £30m each week for National Lottery-funded projects. But they also support their local areas in many other ways.   

“That’s why we are delighted to launch the Local Retail Champions campaign, through Allwyn’s Social Value Fund, which will recognise those National Lottery retailers who go that extra mile to give back to their communities. We can’t wait to see all the fantastic stories and urge every one of our retail partners to share details of the campaign with their customers and get involved – as there are some brilliant prizes up for grabs.” 

Allwyn is working with Reach PLC to promote the campaign across publications and websites.

The initiative is being paid for with money from Allwyn’s dedicated Social Value Fund, which is an annual £1m that the company has committed to using to support operating The National Lottery.

To nominate a local retailer, a customer must be 18 or over and should write up to 150 words before 20 October on how their local National Lottery retailer has made the community a better place. Find out more here.

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